Task Force 16: Recon-Assault
by StrikerStanding692
Summary: Humanity will be accompanied by the worst of the Neuroi. After the ruthless virus attack made and the disappearance of half of the two witch fighter wings once in the year, UNIA has been acting faster more than ever. With the threat of dark magic being controlled by the Neuroi, TF-16 has been dispatched to locate all parties covering the Neuroi's tracks.
1. Prologue

PROLOGUE

 _ **Halley –**_ _I know it's been some time that bad stuff had been happening, but I always minded how and why it was made possible. The Neuroi key distribution from the Second Neuroi War had to be stopped. But dark magic made into some sort of resource, is forbidden and much focused right now. If it was in the wrong hands, it could be catastrophic in almost every angle for except one: those who don't seem to believe the power of dark magic._

 _Kyoko and I have seen our share of dark magic users who applied it to themselves. It's rare, but we're able to take every single one of the experimented dark magic users down, not just by ourselves but by the whole team. With my Sierra team separated from Kyoko's Alpha team before, we worked dividedly at first, but we're able to get ourselves together when the situation calls for it. That's how Kyoko and I were able to be friends._

 _Hopefully nothing will change as we go through much more than usual._

 _My name is Halley Blomgren, Swedish region witch of Baltland... half Mermaid, and half human of a witch, with a wolf as my familiar, and runs out of control when I was untrained. But when I trained myself, I not only became stronger, but much more ruthless than before. I'm able to control my ruthlessness, but at times, I needed to let go by doing wicked stuff. I'm a good and bad package put together in one because I did bad stuff on the way to the present too: Being an incest, for example... and being a backstabber second._

 _That's how I made my history. There's a lot of good in it too. But enough about me. All that I did made a good result out of everything anyway... and the present is important more than ever. It was time to keep going..._

 _...and by means of going somewhere, I meant prioritizing for something much worse now. As a UNIA Recon-Agent together with Kyoko, our tasks related in Task Force 16, the group we're both assigned in, was to take down parties using or distributing dark magic as a forbidden resource. However, something came up to our attention and we needed to get on it right away because the next set of missions we'd be having will be largely about the Neuroi._

 _The Neuroi were aliens that appeared even before the Second Neuroi War. It was mysterious how they're able to keep up from ancient times. And from rare to often until to the Second Neuroi War, that's when we realized we were facing an enemy that evolves with us. After we beat them and established peace in the beginning of the 50's, we thought it was over. We were wrong. As long as we're alive, it might have been predicted they'll be around for long. And the present proves it._

 _2015 is not the worst of times, but we're beginning to doubt that._

 _A lot of things are happening related to the Neuroi: Half of two joint fighter wings disappeared because of a Neuroi-based Time-jump. Thanks to that, none of us wanted to open a history book, because they'd be anywhere by now... and much worse if they're in the past._

 _Second is the fact a Neuroi-based virus has suddenly hacked in to our network. It appeared for exactly two minutes before it disappeared. How we'll be able to find the virus is unknown, but we already considered even our intelligence may be compromised, which is why every defense department with Cyber-Transition issues in mind put an intensely built firewall to counteract the virus. We needed to be prepared in case things go wrong. It doesn't have its own operating system or standards, which is why a firewall is not bad to start with in the first place._

 _UNIA also classified the idea of helping find the missing witches of the fighter wings with missing counts. They owe it to every witch who fights against the Neuroi. We at least have a common foe now, but with the virus out... it's all about a game of chess. Any one of us that moves too early, will be the victims. And we don't wanna start being the victims._

 _Here's the summary: We have a fucked up world... a fucked up life... and most especially a cunning opponent we should have held in our fingertips, but never did because they see our resistance from before, making them our worthy opponent from all our years. Now, it's different. The Neuroi want to destroy us, at least in my perspective._

 _So what happens now? Obviously... the Neuroi deserve payback. They want to hit us by using dark magic and this virus? We'll hit them back, and worse if ever we can. But it's only a matter of time until they make their move._

 _And we'll be ready for them..._


	2. Sisters starting in a snap

**_Hello! Didn't expect that I'll really be making this, did you? My first reaction on getting this the fact that this is a sub-story to Sky Dreadnought. Actually, it's supposed to be another entry on the timeline, so why not just do another story with another group of characters instead of spoiling myself of telling the futures of the characters on my SW SD fanfict? Good idea, right?!_**

 ** _Anyway, I've been reading reviews… and even if I don't see them on FF… I SEE THEM ON EMAIL! So yes… I'll answer your reviews!_**

 ** _To Motown Scrapper: "In fact, yeah. Halley missed that point where the 555th appeared in place with the disappeared members of the witch fighter wings out at sea. No worries… she'll be given a fact by UNIA agent somewhat on this chapter though! Read all about it. ;)"_**

 ** _Well, nothing much to say except there is AN UPDATE on the OC's! It's actually from Halley's, but nonetheless, I still want to point out that Halley's a ruthless but still special character since she's half mermaid and half human lycanthrope for a reason. Muhahaha…_**

 ** _Anyway… here are the OC's on this fanfict so far (with Halley's details updated):_**

 ** _UNIA TASK FORCE 16_**

This was formed since 2014. Task Force 16 is also known as the 'Anti-Dark Deeds Division' of the UNIA Task Force Groups. It's usually concerned with covertly locating and halting illegal activities related to forbidden resources. Dark magic is the main concern that should never be used for personal gains. Knowing that it shouldn't be held by just anyone, the motive of TF-16 is to bring down parties guilty of selling or using dark magic as an abuse and/or harmful action against civilian or allied populations around the globe.

Recently, they took notice of parties obtaining or mining dark magic for another party: The Neuroi. Task Force 16 is given the immediate task of locating those parties and shutting them all down. The task is recently called into light, as a Priority One call, bringing all members of the said task force to drop other ops and focus on the problem at hand.

The leaders of the primary squads are codenames Sixteen-Alpha Actual and Sixteen-Sierra Actual: Captain Yamakawa and Flight Lieutenant Blomgren. Both of them handle two witches each of varying functions.

 ** _MAIN TASK FORCE PROTAGONISTS_**

 **[YAMAKAWA, KYOKO]**

"Likewise… If you're not my friend…" *glares at Neuroi* "…then GET OUT OF MY WAY." *Raises her weapons and pulls the trigger…*

"Halley! Where's the food?" *stomach grumbles* "I'm hungry…"

Callsign: Sixteen-Alpha Actual

Birthday / Age: November 10 (Currently 18 years old starting August 2014…)

Height: 5 feet 10 inches (178 cm)

Hair: Black, straight… Shoulder lengthened

Eye color: Light brown

Skin: Natural pale

Body Shape: Average (Somewhat thin)

Rank: Captain (Army)

Nationality: Fusoan / Fusojin

Affiliation: Fuso Ground Self-Defense Force, UNIA Task Force 16

Aircraft / Striker: F-22 Raptor Etherjet Striker Variant (Current)

Strikers can be equipped with: Aim-9 Sidewinders only (TF-16 Protocol)

Familiar: White Eurasian collared dove

Weapons: Primary - M4A1 Assault Rifle (Drum-mag) or the Prototype Type-199 LMG (Based from the Type-99 LMG), Secondary – FN Five Seven or the Chinese Type-64 SMG, Special - 21st Century Stinger Anti-Air Rocket Launcher

Intrinsic Ability: **_Round Shield (_** Like a shield, her Round Shield will be able to protect her from all angles, and magic can only be spent once it actually gets hit by anything. She can recharge her Round Shield for a while before it can be used again. This is deployed as she spends an amount of magic permanently, while letting the shield protect her the whole time. It'll do the rest, but once it starts getting hit with anything, it will slowly lose energy the more time passes. She can dissipate the shield return the magic spent ONLY if her shield is not inflicted with damage at all. ** _), Hyper Vision (_** It enables her to do two things. The first: Like the snake-eye gadget from MGS4, it functions as both a night-vision and thermal-vision ability. The second: Her vision is enhanced and can see farther than usual, usually for reconnaissance or observation reasons. Both functions can only be done one at a time. ** _)_**

Backstory: This character is a descendant to Yamakawa, Michiko (Kyoko's grandmother).

Known as a witch with powers that was classified by the Fusoan government, Kyoko was actually a child of pure intelligence at first glance. At the age of 10, she was recommended to be put under observation by the military because of it. Intelligence training that was put on her seemed to be a piece of cake, but she was challenged more as she was given the battle simulation for commanding a landing mission conducted by a navy force towards an enemy shore. Not only has she shown individual squad management and navy participation after the final battle simulation test, but she had matched, or outmatched the skill of a general, who in fact is a strategist. She was 13 when she was given the option to be a Colonel, but she had other plans.

Her wish was different: Ever since she knew about the The Gulf War in 1991, she knew the Neuroi are far from surrendering. She knew she still wanted to fight the non-stopping Neuroi. And so… As a special request made to the military high-ranking officials in her home country, she was promoted and ranked as Captain. Her request was of a good time, knowing she will have served in its rank to her best.

She also took time to go back to her roots in studying about ancient witches, who were wonders back then. Although she didn't strive to be an ancient witch for herself, she did strive to learn of a special "Magic Reconnection Rite." It's for those who are usually burning out magic so fast, that it would leave the user without it for a very long time. She can use the rite, although a very sensitive procedure to do so. (Only she… has the power to apply it. Having learned further as to how Yoshika was able to get her powers back in 1945 after the 'Shin Reppuzan' was executed from Operation Mars, Kyoko was able to perfect the Magic Reconnection Rite, since it involves emotional statuses for anyone who could be applied with it.)

Serving the ground self-defense force for two years and staying as a captain, her reputation for defending key areas and taking rightful territories for Fuso earned her the nickname "Frontline Leader." A month after that, she was transferred to the UNIA Special Forces unit to be trained for harsher conditions and missions against humanity's worst nightmares. At 18 years old, she was later assigned in the newly formed TF-16 in 2014, leading the primary squad against key anti-witch elements using Dark Magic as a personal resource for their darkest deeds.

Kyoko's best friend in Task Force 16 is named Halley Blomgren, a Swedish region witch from Baltland.

 **[ _HALLEY BLOMGREN_ ]**

"AI! COWARDS, DIE!" *Uses a peashooter against the drone Neuroi…*

"Sparing you isn't my choice." *Reveals her wolf-eyes.* "It's from the other girl." *smirks*

Callsign: Sixteen-Sierra Actual

Birthday / Age: January 16 (Currently 21 years old in August 2014)

Height: 6 feet 2 inches (188 cm)

Hair: Blue, and short (Wears a seashell clip on the right side of her head)

Eye color: Black

Skin: Fair complexion

Body Shape: Lean

Rank: Flight Lieutenant (Air Force)

Nationality: Swedish (Southeast Baltland region peoples with the capital of Stockholm)

Affiliation: Swedish Air Force, UNIA Task Force 16

Aircraft / Striker: JAS 39 Gripen Etherjet Variant

Familiar: Swedish Wolf

Weapons: Melee – Survival Knife or Wolf Claws, Primary – Steyr AUG Bullpup Assault Rifle or M2 Browning HMG, Secondary – Desert Eagle

Strikers can be equipped with: AIM-7 Sparrow Semi-Active Radar-Guided Missiles, AIM-120 AMRAAM active radar-guided missiles

Intrinsic Ability: **_Primal Shapeshift (_** Natural uniquely to herself and her familiar, Primal Shapeshift can allow her to transform, into her familiar, the Wolf. She can also use a part of her familiar for offensive or defensive purposes still in her human form. This doesn't use magic though. The ability was infused in her by means of magic, but it was placed in her permanently. She accepts this, as an extension to how she lives. ** _), Siren Scream (_** Using only her voice, she can amplify its frequency on her own and make a completely supersonic wave that can blow off anything she screams to. This can also result in deafening effects. If she's underwater though, she uses the Siren Scream to determine objects and its locations through a Sonar effect. ** _)_**

Shapeshift Variants: **_Two-legged type (_** On two legged type shapeshifting, Halley can of course walk on her hind legs while her arms form up normally along with morphing. Normal for werewolves having great necessity to human motions at times. ** _), All-fours (_** Of course, Halley can also transform with her hind legs there, but her arms shorten up to her other set of legs on the front, and everything changes in her body… even her skeletal and muscle structures change because of this and this is truly the transformation she makes whenever she masks her identity while in the right environments. Both variants bring enhanced senses to her, and even her urges… which is the main reason why she howls, growls, or simply gets a 'bigger drive' compared to a human girl. ** _)_**

Backstory: Known as the great granddaughter of King Neptune to her friends and others in the mermaid circle, and a granddaughter to Trinity, Halley is also a natural witch, and not one who was bestowed using the Inner-Familiar pill of old.

Born from Trinity's daughter Julieta and another human named Eric Blomgren, Halley was raised in the Swedish region of Baltland with her father beside her, while Julieta takes focus on helping rebuild the mermaid and mermen communities around the world. At age 14 while she was training in the military, she had sworn to herself to go as long as she could, after hearing the sudden Neuroi attack on her hometown which took the life of her father there. Going for more, she even decided to get mentoring on how to control her Primal Shapeshift. She knew using it to her advantage would be better than losing control as what happens most of the time in the past.

With the full control of her Primal Shapeshift ability, her training done with her ability with the Siren Scream, and her career in the Swedish Air Force getting attention of interested parties, she was later assigned to the UNIA Special Forces unit and served for two years, then recently transferred to Task Force 16. Having met Kyoko and learned they're in different groups in the task force, she discarded it in the name of getting to know friends for the sake of keeping them close. That brought Kyoko out of her shell, and even told Halley that she could use help on a few things. Halley thought it was crazy since Kyoko was way smarter, but apparently, not much on the more simple aspects of life.

She joined UNIA before Kyoko did and has more experience in 2 years, and prior to meeting Kyoko, but she was able to give Kyoko the means of truly being a leader of a TF-16 squad. This brought them close as friends.

 ** _Well, that about sums up what I need to say. At least I said it well!_**

 ** _Oh well! Enjoy the first chapter. After this… I got a lot of bookkeeping to do. (Phew…)_**

* * *

 _ **CHAPTER 1**_

" _ **Sisters starting in a snap"**_

 _ **In a late and simple night in California...**_

 _ **Ember –**_ _Everything's a blur._

She spins her dual blades and cuts the man into thirds before hearing gunfire in the room...

 _The way things work... I mean._

Ember activates her Neuroi armor and sends a beam towards the lights, blinding every gunman in the room. Then... she starts slashing and sending beams to them with no mercy while guns were fired.

 _I thought everything starts up simple. I get to live a good life... I get to live a peaceful life. But that thing changed when I knew a little part of humanity despised the Neuroi so much, even hybrids could be hunted down or killed, and it purely started that day in London when our mom died. Blaze and I are the only hybrids in existence, but we eventually thought we could 'succumb' into being Neuroi in full. It changed when mysterious figures helped us out._

 _During the Second Neuroi War I was being helped out other Neuroi in existence as well. They're part of the resistance against the ones taking the war to humanity. The one who was closer to me was their leader: Xala. I considered her the closest friend I could have. Blaze and I learned a lot... battled a lot. Our side of the story got us to believe there are people who knew about us. So, we fought back. But after all those years... the true taste of battle became bitter, and it was taking a toll on both of us._

 _But that changed when we're given at least a chance to redeem ourselves again. We've been running for far too long. It's about time the rest of the world, or at least an intelligence community would know about us._

 _I never tasted battle for five years after our last battle with a hunting party. I thought it was all over. Looks like I have a purpose after all._

 _But knowing this is the very last group hunting me, while they're also supplying dark magic to the Neuroi secretly, I had to be in front, because I'm their worst nightmare for messing with us both..._

And so Ember did multiple revolutions of slashes against three gunmen at the same time, making them the last in the room she'd kill, just before a gunshot rang. With only a move of her head, she avoided the bullet while she looked at the one responsible: A bulky man with a black vest and a beard reaching his neck.

His appearance was almost horrible, but his reputation as a fighter shouldn't be underestimate.

 _Like that's gonna be an issue to me._

"Vermilion." The bearded man said while holding a revolver. It seems he's from the Latin parts of former Neue Karlsland, Bruruil. "After taking down the scorpions, you decided to take down the Helix Core, eh? Hehehe... You certainly have the nerve."

Ember glanced at him, irritated by what he said. "I'm just gonna pretend you didn't say any of that."

"Tch. Look at you... you're a monster... killing anyone in your way."

"Sure. That's the charm I leave."

"I'm not going to lie to you: Giving up your humanity only makes you look worse than ever."

"Shut up." Ember interjected...

" _ **Flash out!**_ " Kyoko shouted before throwing a flashbang grenade in a small apartment room before it released a blinding light to anyone inside. With an M4A1, she armed herself and went in the room, hovering without any strikers on. And she searched the room, knowing it was just a mess. ' _There's no one here._ ' "Room clear!"

The radio crackled to life. " _ **Roger.**_ " Halley's voice was heard on the other. " _I'm clear here too, but the intel's got to be here somewhere._ "

"Well, no one left through any of the exits, right?"

" _ **Not true.**_ " Another girl's voice was heard, and Kyoko knows who.

"Blaze? What's up?"

" _I'm quietly following that bagman right now. He's got the documents with him... big mistake for walking out to an empty parking lot. Ah, he made me. Don't worry. He won't go anywhere..._ "

The man was running in the darkness of the night towards the covered parking lot where there were lights on. Its lights also let him see his red Mustang parked nearby. As he was panicking even as he approaches, he heard a beam being shot off and the lights went out. He screamed in panic and eventually stumbled to the floor. Still, he held his bag tight and looked behind him, seeing a Neuroi-armored figure hover closer now.

Blaze was full-armored mode and her face is covered as well. She knew while her red energy sword is drawn that she should be ready, but thought of something else. She dissipated her energy sword off her hand and stopped just where she was, four feet from the man on the ground. Instead of trying something rash, she tried a different approach.

"We've been desperate for that." Blaze said with an echoed tone through her suit. "Look... as much as we want to clear up, I'm not going to hurt you. You're only the bag man, but you don't need to something worse than what your state is right now. I sense your panic and fear. Just end all of this. Hand it over."

The man was still fearing her. "You... you monster."

"Perhaps my sister is, but I still have something in me that should help the whole way for you. I'm different."

"No. We were right to hunt you." The man's fear was slowly fading. "If only we would have died first than hunt you in all of our lives that we're needed!"

"YOUR PEOPLE CHOSE TO!" Blaze snapped at him. "You wanted us dead."

"And now you want what we were working hard for?! You're more than monsters, but thieves! NO! I will not hand this over to you!"

Blaze saw consistent he was. And so with her act of trying to get his trust, her helmet suddenly readjusted itself like a bag with tiles folding. Slowly, her face has shown itself to him while the helmet folded just at the rear of her head. "I told you... I'm not going to hurt you."

"Why don't you just show it to me then, huh?! You wouldn't take this from me, but pry it off my dead hands yourself!" His conviction was made when he said those words.

The Latin man shouted as one of his hands got cut off by Ember's dual swords. Eventually, she even cut off his other hand before he was in shock that he even kneeled.

He was begging for mercy. She only looked at him with anger in her heart. She approached him, and put the tip of her sword to his neck before folding the tiles of her helmet to the back of her head, revealing her face.

"Please... have mercy!"

"Mercy? Did your grandfather ever have mercy when you got my mother killed?"

"He was different. He wanted to start a war against you."

"I know. Then he used different people to steer me away from him. The whole time... the whole time I knew I was right: He was the one responsible. And now his grandson, is kneeling and begging for me to spare him. How pathetic is that?" She puts her sword down.

"Please..." He saw the swift motion of her sword was upward. Everything was still as she walked back, with the bloodied tip of her blade. He saw red, and eventually, his brain died before his head splits in half and sprays blood all over.

She saw him fall dead forward until his whole body was still on the floor. Blood flowed from his head and his dismembered arms. "You were always a prick, Gomez. Goodbye." Those were her words to the corpse as she knew he won't come back. Eventually, she put her ear on her earpiece. "This is Sixteen-X-Ray Actual. Primary target eliminated."

On the ground near his car lay his hand which held his pistol. The man screamed as he crawled to the car. The bag was dropped, but Blaze chose to confront him, even with his back to a corner as he felt his own vehicle stop him. She was there in front of him while he was seated there, frozen of how she felt.

"I tried sparing you as a sign... of goodwill."

"Spare me that kindness! I don't need it! You killed many of our own. And by now, Gomez might be dead."

"This is about you. If suffering won't help..." Blaze then summoned her energy sword on her hand. "...then forgive me." She spun and made a quick slice at him. He was still, before his head started to bleed from the nose, then to his cheeks. Eventually, the upper portion of his head fell with his eyes still open. ' _Is this how the world should be?_ ' She frowned at this, knowing all her enemies have been eliminated. Their suffering is over...

...but what would they do now?

Blaze knew her objective still had to be done though. She looked at the bag on the ground and hovered to it. She picked it up, then loosened the Velcro on the bag and opened it, seeing the actual blueprints of another property. ' _This is it._ ' Then she closed the bag and slung it behind her. "Sixteen-X-Ray Two to all units... Intelligence recovered."

" _ **Nice job.**_ " Ember's voice was heard.

"Bitch. I had to kill someone just to get it."

" _He doesn't like you, so it's natural._ "

"Whatever the reason, I know you're still heartless because of mom. Well, I'm not. What about Gomez?"

" _He's done. He's the last of our hunters. I guess we'll call it a night then._ "

" _ **Not without another stowaway.**_ " Kyoko said suddenly.

Kyoko and Halley were on the first floor somewhere in the vault room of the building. While they're hovering, Ember came in walking. All three of them had a sight to look: They found a man tied behind his back and his feet tied up as well. Not to mention, his mouth was gagged with a cloth. He was very much alive, and awake and was panicking. He saw what happened to a few men.

"Oh yeah." Ember muttered. "I kinda slipped and he saw a few guys go down."

"A few guys?" Halley raised an eyebrow. "To him, it was a massacre. You scared him."

"Mmm-mmph! NNh...nph!" He was whimpering behind his gagged mouth.

"What now?" Kyoko asked, and the two of them have their eyes on the blue-haired Swedish witch.

"At this situation, we let him thank us, at least. But he can't stay in California either. I'll call it in. You two start getting him off his binds. I'll be outside getting the call. Interference here is a bitch." Halley instructed the two of them and immediately, Kyoko and Ember got to get the man off his binds.

"Mmph... PHah!" The man's gagged mouth was finally released and he breathed. "Hahh... Thank you... But..." As he saw the armoured girl helped him up, he tried pulling himself away. "You... you killed them! No mercy! Did you kill everyone?!"

Ember looked at Kyoko, who looked at her. Then she glanced at him. "Sorry about that. It could have been another way, but they were tight on security. So you're the accountant who witnessed their activities?"

"Y-yes... I'm sorry, who are you people? Are you the police?"

Kyoko answered it. "We're a little complicated than that, but we had to end them ourselves since they're going too far on some things that threat national security."

"...of where?"

"All over." Kyoko eventually found a blindfold. "Right now, we have to move. I'm sorry, but you can't know where you will go unless you arrive. You're in danger and we have to get you out of here if you want to live."

"Wait, what are you...?" Eventually, he was blindfolded by Asian girl. "Hey! I wasn't released just to get tied up again."

"This is the only way. You'll be a state away and much nearer to your family though. Forgive us, but we don't have much time." Kyoko explained just before she browsed a pocket and took out a small syringe. With no doubt, she got the needle in his neck before she squeezed in the content.

"Where are you tak... Phew..." The man eventually fainted thanks to the strong tranquilizer dose.

And Ember knew as she carried him, the dose was strong. "Umm... Kyoko... how much tranq did you put in that thing?"

"It's enough for two days."

"Two days?!" Ember then followed Kyoko out of the room. "What the hell are you gonna do to him for two days?"

"It's just enough time until he's in the air with a parachute to the next state. Don't worry. He'll be very much awake when he pulls the cord himself." The young captain led Ember out of the building while seeing a black van being driven in. "Get him in the van."

 _ **In the van...**_

All of them were driving off the city, still on the road late night.

That time, Halley was on the wheel and Kyoko was riding shotgun, while the Vermilion sisters were seated at the back. That time, the sisters were back in their human forms in civilian clothes.

And Ember was irritated while seated beside the sleeping man. "Ugh... This is real bull. Of all things to watch, it's this guy."

"Relax, Ember. It's a little consolation from that raid we did. At least the evidence of our involvement will be cleared up."

"That... and I'm getting a little rusty."

"Aw... My sis is actually getting too old for this?"

"Quit it, Blaze. Aren't you something?"

"Yeah, yeah." Blaze made that smile, and it slowly faded as Ember didn't even spare a glance at her. "What's wrong?"

"It's Gomez." Ember sighed. "When I looked at his eyes... I saw that same fear and panic."

"You can't do anything about that."

"I know. It's the same kind of face his grandfather made."

"Did you... regret killing him?"

"No. That's the problem." She lowered her head for what she was about to say next. "I was enjoying it."

Blaze winced at it. Then again, it might not be old. "Oh. It's... kinda the same with me in one sense."

"Are you crazy?"

"Are you?" Blaze asked the same question Ember did, making them both ask. Then she answered it herself. "Maybe we are. After all, we're just finding our way."

"OK."

"So... what's our next move?"

"Obviously... I'd like to see where this goes. Everything about us just changed this night. I saw myself a monster while you saw yourself quite the same thing."

"Yeah. I tried to change that a bit."

"But you know... no nation's gonna use us since multiple countries are gonna know about us instead. So what's gonna be their reaction though?"

"I don't know... Maybe they'd fear us?"

"At first. But maybe they won't make friends with us. They'll be allied, but it should start off that way anyway. Hopefully, it could get better. It should, because two dead girls are about to come back to life... officially."

"Sure, I got that... but what about love? Would you try finding it again?" Blaze's smile caught her attention, but it was slowly turning into a smirk. "Come on... you better not forget some things don't change, right?"

"Tch. I thought of Shirley too, but I only watched her. Nothing more, nothing less. She didn't need to get involved in our world."

"Wise... but what about showing yourself to her? I mean... it's better that way, right? You should get your peace of mind."

"I guess."

"So that's what you're gonna do... and I'm helping you!"

"W-w-what?"

"If ever we know where Shirley is and we get free time, we should visit her!"

"No, frickin' way."

"Aww... I thought you wanted to love Shirley back?"

"But she's old and..." Ember hesitated to continue and shook her head. "Crap. I shouldn't have said that."

"See? You're concerned."

"Shut up!" And Ember's word was accompanied by her sister's laugh.

Halley sighed while hearing the conversation while on the wheel. "So... I guess that airstrip's gonna be the answer, huh?"

"Don't pretend you never heard it." Kyoko said while she was tapping a few things on her touchscreen CommPad. "I know you're using sensitive ears again. Good thing your wolf familiar is helping. I didn't need it since I installed a microphone at the back."

"Oh."

"But we should consider Ember's position for once. A visit from her to the legendary Shirley Yeager isn't bad either."

"So you agree to Blaze's suggestion?"

"Yes."

"You're shitting me. First answer I'd say is no, because we don't have time. Second, we'll save the old speedster a heart attack for suddenly seeing her supposed lover from long ago come back alive. That's how I wanna play."

" _ **Except you're not playing.**_ " Ember's voice was directly behind them, and Kyoko didn't mistakenly heard the crushing of a plastic metal object. As the two looked, they saw her crushing the small microphone she knew was a spy microphone. She smirked at them, and glanced at them, taking turns between the two. "I don't know what you two are dealing with, but in get in my life, and you both got hell to pay." Eventually, she opened her hand and pieces of the spy microphone were falling to the floor. "But seeing you guys are interested in how you should solve my sadness, maybe I could open up with that after all."

Halley winced and glanced at Kyoko, then back to Ember. "Uh-uh." Then she glanced back on the road. "Not a chance, Ember. Even if we wanted to, what would you gain there? I mean... we might as well spare her the shock of her life."

"It's not a shock. It's a surprise."

"It's the same thing. She's got limited time right now and..."

"She's only 88, idiot. She's got strength in her. She can take it."

"We're not talking about this."

"Oh? Then we're talking about the assurance I can give you for helping you guys track down every last dark magic distributor there is. You're not helping, I'm not helping."

"Excuse me?! You'd rather risk the chance of stopping the Neuroi if you didn't see Shirley on our behalf?!"

"Hey. You guys looked for me, and asked my help while you helped us both take out the last hunter on our tail. That's something, but she's different. She might have limited time, but I wanna see her happy. I sensed her in her life that she wasn't... at all. Witnessing me and even talking to me would suffice. Maybe our time's passed us, but it isn't too late if she sees me and gets my story. I still owe it to her. I ran off just like that. I'm gonna make sure I get back to her, when I know I'm gonna be 'working' for you guys. That's right... I accept, okay?" And Ember's words surprised Halley there.

Kyoko in fact wasn't believing what she was hearing. "Hmm..." She wondered about something, then glanced at Ember. "Ember... what do you think exactly when you try getting an opportunity?"

"I think of it as a once-in-a-lifetime chance. I made many chances slip. Although I got some slip-ups in my life, I got at least something to keep me up."

"And what was that?"

"Hope. I never stop hoping and I never stop trying to get there. That's what made me strong the whole time with Blaze. We were once separated, but we're sticking like glue ever since we reunited. I even taught her my tricks."

" _ **Not everything.**_ " Blaze was heard from the back of the van.

"Tch. Anyway..."

"Alright, alright..." Halley said it out of getting Ember's point. "There's a real time for that, but it's only if we're free. Once we get to DC, I'll get you registered since you agreed. But once you're registered, you got our eyes focused on you since we still have to protect our own agents."

"I'm not just gonna be an agent, but an asset too."

"Exactly... which is why we'll do things for you too. If you want, take the next bus to New Jersey next week. She's in a home... and..."

"I know. Bad stuff happened to her too." Ember frowned at it. She knew too well that Shirley ended up in a 'Home for the Aged' facility. ' _If only I was there, but I was running my whole life. What have I been doing?_ '

"At least you can see her, okay?" Halley said to snap Ember out of her thoughts. "Is that enough?"

"Maybe some more time?"

Halley glanced at Ember for a while. "Yeah... maybe." And she glanced back on the road while driving the van.

Ember knew those last words weren't really assuring, but she smile nonetheless.

 _Shirley... I'll see you again. I promise._

 _ **United Nations Intelligence Agency, DC Branch, Washington DC...**_

 _ **1207 hours...**_

After that recent drop-off of the man who was rescued back at the West Coast, the team finally flew to the Washington DC branch of UNIA at the Eastern side of Liberion. When Blaze and Ember were inside, everything was about organizing. There were offices full of staff. Some entrances in certain areas are guarded with men in Level 2 Tactical uniforms, and are even armed with assault rifles. Almost the whole facility had agents, technical staff, and Intelligence staff working around the clock.

And the first word Ember muttered out was... "Holy..." But she was nudged by Blaze at the hip. "What?"

"Can't get enough?" Blaze smirked at Ember. "Told ya there was something like this from the CIA."

"Hey. They're an intel agency but they're not for the CIA if I recall it right."

"Sure. Whatever you say."

" _ **Ehem...**_ " Halley got the attention of the two. She was wearing a tactical uniform like the guards on that floor. That time, Kyoko was around with her. "You two should follow me. Ember should meet somebody in here since one of the people here know her."

"One of you guys know me?"

"Who wouldn't?" Halley said it like everybody knows. This made Ember cross arms. "Sorry."

"It's fine... but you're making me look old." Ember's glare lets Halley decide to get it moving.

"Nevermind. Let's go."

And as the sisters were being led by Halley, Blaze whispered: "You ARE old, and I don't deny it from myself too."

"Shut up."

 _ **Eventually, they arrived in a parking garage at the west section of the branch grounds...**_ The vehicles in there were composed of cars, and even SUV's. But what the two saw next was another SUV that somehow... looked like a tank.

And under the tank SUV was a shirted individual with only shorts on, but her legs down are exposed, and the shoes won't change that anyway.

"Vicky." Halley called out while stopping near the body at the tank SUV. "Someone's here to see you."

And for some reason, Ember recognized the name. ' _Vicky? I know someone, do I?_ '

"Urgh..." The figure from under the tank SUV sounded like a female Liberion teen. "How... in the fuck am I gonna work when someone's calling me at a time like this?! Damn it, I struck bad on the oil on this thing! It's a damn mess. I swear to God, Dre is gonna pay for this. Halley, if it's just him, tell him to just shut up... and let me work!"

"Except it isn't him. You'll like the visitor, silly."

"Will I? It's the same as the others before... all here about business."

Ember smirked at that and got near the mechanic as she analyzed from the woman. "Hey ya. You struck oil on what part?"

"A girl, huh? Mechanic?"

"Yup."

"There's some help you could give me. What happens if the compressor's busted and it's way off the clutch disc's levelled oil area?"

"It's simple. Replace the compressor, tweak the clutch disk itself. If you can't tweak it to its performance, replace it. It ain't good if it's scratched up once. You may as well consider it broke."

"Hmm... Damn, the compressor and the clutch disk really need to be replaced on this? Oh well. Hey... you seem to know your stuff! How long were you a mechanic?"

"Too long. Actually, I met another mechanic back in the day. I don't know... but she's got the same voice as you do, maybe."

"Oh? You wouldn't be talking about my grandma Shirley, would you?"

"Yeah, but she talked about another, who's got the same voice as her... It's actually her half-sister Victoria. Traces of brown hair and orange as highlights is what she described to me." Ember's words stopped the mechanic from doing anything else. "And I always remembered a time Shirley told me Vicky's granddaughter would have the same given name. Likewise... You're the second Vicky... aren't you?"

Vicky rolled out with her roller platform under her upper body after pulling herself out. As soon as her head was out, her eyes focused on the girl who talked to her. "How'd you...?" She gasped at who it was.

And Ember looked at Vicky: She's got brown hair extending to her shoulders, and blue eyes. Not to mention, the bust size Vicky has was somehow... reminding her of Shirley. "Victoria Fletcher Yeager the Second. Interesting." Ember said it with a smirk at the young woman below and in front of her. "And I thought coincidences remain coincidences."

"Oh shit!" Vicky almost panicked when she attempted to standby pulling herself up, but she instead pushes her body back to the SUV, and her head hits the lower skirt. "Ow!" She got grip and fixed herself before standing up. "Shit... Ow..."

"Clumsy as her too? You gotta be kidding me."

"No... maybe it isn't a joke. Maybe... it's meant to be." Vicky shook her head and got a good look at the redhead in front of her. "So... You're her? Grandma Shirley used to tell me stories about the girl who was a mechanic. So you're... Ember?"

Ember sighed. "Still don't believe me? I hope Shirley didn't tell you I'm a wreck."

"No. She just told me you're..." And Vicky stopped there. She eventually looked at Halley.

"It's okay. We know too."

Vicky glanced back at Ember. "Do they?"

"Yup. I was in Fuso when I met her. Actually... it's not just me."

Eventually, Vicky glanced towards the other redhead beside Halley. "Blaze?"

"Hey, Vicky. So you remembered my name too?"

"Are you kidding? I don't wanna forget Grandma Shirley's stories... ever." She smiled then looked at Ember. "Goodness... You two never aged. What the hell happened to you guys?"

"It's a long story... all for a good time, I guess. Ever since we got back from the dead..."

"Yeah. We all thought of that ourselves after your mom's death. At first they were worried after you've gone missing with Blaze. Then... our worries turned into sadness that we thought you were dead or something. Everyone got to tear up after you left."

"Whoa..." Ember muttered it to herself. "So you guys really missed me."

"Of course, who wouldn't? But you're back now. Grandma Shirley's gonna be happy. Hey, you didn't visit her yet, did you?"

"I'm planning on that... me and Blazette both."

"This'll be wild." Vicky smirked and looked at Halley. "So... found your replacing Sierra team yet, Halley?"

"Not yet. I already thought of Ember being on Sierra team. Thing is... I need one more witch."

"Together, it'll make six if the two squads are together, you know."

"Sure. We don't always rely on numbers but speed and smarts: Task-Force 16 Specialty."

"Yeah." Vicky winked at Halley. "I think I can take on something like that."

"Tch. Who says you're going? You're not even a witch."

"Nope. You don't know, do you? It's been a week."

"What's been a week?" Halley was curious, and her question was answered when Vicky exhibited magic that a blue glow got over her body. Eventually, her familiar features resembling a brown bunny came out. This made Halley all the more confused at first, but then she remembers: "No way... You're 18 but you... You... You..."

"It doesn't matter what age. Most women or guys can manifest at an older age. Don't tell me you forgot that."

"No it's... This is incredible."

"Anyway, I told Halsey about it already."

" _ **Indeed, she has.**_ " An old woman's voice made them all turn at the entrance of the parking area and they saw an old and partly wrinkled woman in a wheelchair, and wears an oxygen mask. The one pushing the wheelchair was a woman in her 20's having purple hair and glasses.

The old woman then smiled when she saw Ember herself. "Ah... So Shirley was right from before."

Ember winced at this. "Wait... you know Shirley?"

"Who wouldn't know the speedster? First off... she's crazy... right off the bat. I can tell you that she's quite the character from those days, especially when she showed a lot of guts when she used a plane to rescue two striker-less witches from falling to their deaths."

"Whoa. That's the Shirley I might know."

"I talked to her about it and she says it's all about knowing lives are spared for bigger battles. And she proved how damn worthy she was when she took on the huge hive over Romagna back then. Though... Enough said. My granddaughter here... she's got quite the reputation. She's in charge of the DC branch."

The girl behind the wheelchair nodded and looked at Ember. "Ember, my name's Patricia Halsey. I'm the branch director here in DC. As you know, Grandma Jenna's old right now."

"You're always discouraging me, dear Tricia."

"Urgh... She always wants to think she gets younger, but anti-ageing therapies can always run out, and until now... she can't wrap her head around getting old now."

"I still... got my best years ahead of me! Well... tell them one time of how I shut down that stupid Shapeshifter unit! Stupid things just move from one timeline to another. How it's done can't even be determined. Damn bastards."

"Anyway..." Patricia glared from her grandmother and glanced towards them. "You are all going to my office in half an hour so I'll get you guys into speed. Blomgren, it includes you too. Besides getting the information you guys need, I'm also getting something official. I'm re-forming the Sierra team for Task Force 16 in Director Fray's authority. As for Victoria the Second, take a shower. We already evaluated you for any combat situation. I'll see you all later." And with that, Patricia gently her grandmother along with her wheelchair off the parking area and left.

Ember then turned to Vicky. "You were evaluated already?"

Vicky grinned. "Yup! Ever since I manifested, I already got great flight training. And hey... I already know how to shoot automatics, so it's no problem. However... I like bigger guns."

" _ **That, I can arrange.**_ " Halley said and all heads turned to her. "I can arrange an air support kit if you get accepted as one. Remember: It'll involve heavy weapons training at its finest for you, since you need to shoot high-calibre weapons."

"I'll handle them like butter."

"Don't you mean you'll handle them like butterfingers? This isn't a joke."

"Oh, come on!"

"We'll worry about that when you get into training. For now, you heard the branch director. Get to the showers. You're relieved of duty for this."

Vicky then saluted. "Yes, ma'am!"

"We're not military."

"But we're still in great shape!" She then puts her hand down and gets on her way. "I'll see you guys later!" She then leaves the parking area.

"Wow." Blaze muttered to herself. "A manifestation at 18 years old?"

"Its frequency is increasing." Halley explained. "Over statistics, usually manifestation starts between 11 to 13, but it changes each time. All the years that passed, and older ages get to manifest magic. It only means our gene matching to the magic field on this planet is allowing older aged individuals to wield magic. Perhaps there are maturity reasons? The reasons can't really be told for now."

"Imagine a guy or girl when over 20."

"Exactly. As long as wisdom is counted from a person, they'll know how to handle it well. Accepting magic is most important after all."

"Well... Okay. Anyway... she said she's reforming Sierra team?"

"Oh... that? Well, not much to explain, but witch squads have been formed up many times by grouping witches together. Sierra team's one of them, and since we're in Task Force 16, we rely on speed and intelligence, and not to mention being clever. That's how smart we are for tracking down threats. If we know how to track them without causing attention, we'll succeed."

"Numbers attract attention? Well, it makes sense."

"That's why we rely on the best we got while there are a few of us."

"Wow... Where's my team?"

"You'll probably be assigned to Alpha Team with Captain Yamakawa."

"Ah."

" _ **Well.**_ " Ember had a determined voice. "Looks like things will be interesting all the way."

"Sorry if we had to do things in a snappy way, Ember." Halley said, knowing Ember didn't fully relax since this morning.

"Nah, it's fine. Whether we find time to rest up or not, we gotta keep making a good performance."

"Sure. Just remember you're still human in a sense. You might be a Neuroi, but we're not counting out the possibility that you could still be organic. So take your time whenever you see that chance." Halley started walking out of the parking area. "We gotta get Kyoko just in case. We might need her for the meeting since she's team leader of Alpha Team."

 _ **EPILOGUE...**_

Kyoko was in her office while looking at a picture frame, with a photograph of Michiko in her old age, still smiling towards whatever camera took the picture. The picture was about her smiling next to a banana forming a smiley. Every time Kyoko looked at this, it makes her smile and be motivated. It still does now, but the feeling is quite different especially when Michiko already passed away.

"I promise." Kyoko muttered while putting the picture frame on her desk. "I'll do my best to be great in life as you advised me to. If you believe in your friends, I'll believe in mine, and myself at the same time. There's always room for a life with friends. And for that, I thank you."

The door in the office opened and Halley was still at the entrance. "Kyo, you wanna come with me? We got a meeting with the branch director and maybe you could tag along."

"Re-forming Sierra?"

"Yup. And... other stuff."

"I don't mind." Kyoko turned to Halley with a smile on her face. "Bring it on." She then headed for the door and eventually left with Halley after closing the door behind her.

And on that desk laid the picture frame of the old Michiko Yamakawa, knowing in her granddaughter's mind and heart will live forever.

 _ **Kyoko –**_ _Maybe life brings a big blur. Maybe we can become bitter as time passes by. But we also become acknowledged as to who we really are whenever we live a life. If we live more than a life, it's fine too. We just gotta keep taking note of what lives seemed important enough that we could remember what, seems to be the best moments. Whether we take pictures, record sounds or videos, there are just so many ways of keeping memories._

 _Maybe it would hurt us, but that's what makes us the person we could or should be. There's no need to punish ourselves for that._

 _Nightmares and dreams coexist. It's up to us which ones are more existing in our hearts as well._

 _And the the most important thing I'd say: As long as one is still alive, they always count the success, and not the failures. I hope Ember did the same before, or does the same on the next set of years she might have. Blaze believes in her. I want to do the same._


	3. and he arrives in time

_**CHAPTER 2**_

" _ **...and he arrives in time"**_

 _ **2015... Unknown location...**_

 _ **2157 hours...**_

The once busy streets of the suburban area of the city was completely quiet, knowing its travellers can't always travel its road. The humors that spread around the road in the area tells of men or objects sometimes found and are out of time. Thanks to this, roadblocks are made to secure the road and to ensure no one passes through the same area.

The grass that was calm near the sidewalk began to sway in the wind, when the wind is actually stagnant in that area. Soon, more wind made the grass sway just before sparks of light appeared two feet above the ground. The sparks lit up in intervals. And as the sparks lit up more often, it later formed into a blue portal, as a rift through time. At this, a figure wearing black was thrown to the grass as his chest was on the ground, and his mouth tasted the soil.

Elroy knew his travels weren't safe, and it was his first time to time-travel. ' _Tch..._ ' He thought before seeing the portal get smaller before it closed up only with a spark of dust slowly falling to the grass. "Of all places..." He then stood up to look around, knowing he's in a suburban neighbourhood. Then he saw wood plastered on the walls. "...it had to be a convicted area. Typical." He muttered aloud before continuing on foot. As he saw the roadblock, he was convinced of the area being a convicted area, and just crossed over the wooden blocks before continuing on his way. Eventually, he saw a car nearby and a man standing in wait while he whistled just distant from him. ' _Who is he?_ ' He thought before approaching the man.

Xiao Jun was waiting for someone, and knowing he couldn't do anything else, he was whistling a tune to pass the time. That was when he saw a shady figure approach from the roadblock. That's when he got suspicious and reached for his jacket holster. "EI! BÙYÀO ZÀI KÀOJÌN!"

Elroy saw the Xingiet grab something from his jacket, and it was revealed to be a jacket. The way the Xingiet man spoke, is actually Mandarin in nature. Then... he saw the car, and the pistol. And this man has a different gesture from the Xingiets he once observed. ' _That means..._ ' "Wait... I'm not a threat."

Jun knew the man's language and replied back: "Oh, really? Explain why you got through the roadblock."

"Idiot. I climbed on the hurdles." Elroy then snickered. "Hehe... You certainly have a way to ask with a weapon in hand. However, the way I see it... you couldn't even bring yourself to use that... yet. You're Chinese, aren't you?"

Jun calmed down at this. "Are you... him?"

"What are you talking about?"

"You're being expected." Jun then opened the back door of the car. "Please... get in the car."

Elroy glanced to the car door, then back to the man offering the ride. "Who?"

"You will know." Jun said, before the shady teen walked to the car and got in. He then closed the back door, before he got in the driver's seat and eventually started the car, and immediately drove off...

 _ **Warehouse grounds... Docks...**_

For some reason, Elroy saw he was in an abandoned lot, once the docks for boats, but was probably bankrupt.

Then he asked a question. "My dear man, what's the year?"

"2015."

"And the date?"

"Shut up. When you meet her, you'll know." Jun said irritatingly, now driving the expected visitor to her.

Eventually, they were parked in front of one of the dock's warehouses. Elroy was led in by the man through the open doors of the warehouse. Then, they went underground. There, Elroy saw weapons... both the creations of men and Neuroi alike. This surprised him. ' _Wait... Neuroi are helping in the arms of others?_ ' "This is outstanding. How do they...?"

"Just be silent. All your questions will be answered. Then I won't be bothered by you, annoying child."

And Elroy noticed that irritation from Jun. "If you're so irritated, why are you chosen?"

"It's because she knows my family... too closely."

"Is she from your nation then?"

"No. She's someone... truly spectacular for some reason... and terrifying."

"Does the Neuroi have any relation to this person?"

"She's not a person... technically." Jun then slowed down and whispered in Elroy's ear: "You know, I was always hearing rumors the dark magic she supplies would benefit us, but where it comes from is still a mystery. There were a lot of illegal miners of forbidden resources of this Earth and they were captured and arrested, or even killed. I don't know how she does it... but she has tracks covered, so it seems."

"I see. She must be a fantastic figure then." Elroy replied before he was led to steel doors, now being opened. Eventually, the room became dark thanks to the purple dim of a light in the room. And as he inspected the room itself, it was full of TV-like structures that he knows would exist. "Monitors." He commented before he saw the capsule-like structure at the center of the room. "A capsule?"

"It's a 3D imaging capsule, actually. Well... It just enables her to be around. Actually... the room is a big holographic room... more or less."

" _ **Idiot.**_ " A teen girl's voice echoed in the room. " _It's bad enough you told him about the rumor that he'll be confused of, but you also confused him whether or not this is a holographic room... WHICH ACTUALLY IS!_ " Her shout to get Jun nervous.

"I'm sorry! It seems I hit a nerve... again."

" _Silence. Just leave us and be on your way. Don't leave the docks. You might be needed._ " And her command made him groan. " _Or should your family be executed like so?_ "

"I'm sorry!" Jun panicked and left the room, passing through the steel doors before it closed behind him.

Elroy chuckled at this and looked at the capsule. "Why don't you show yourself?"

" _I intend to._ " She answered before her holographic image flickered and appeared inside the imaging capsule. Her skin was made from the Neuroi's hide. And like a girl's body, her shape follows one. It seemed she was a C-cup in her image. Her black hair was crystallized but were very small detailed strands of hair that's made of Crystal. And she opened her eyes, a red color emanated and lit them up before red hexagons and lines were made all over her hide. Eventually, her eyes focused on Elroy. "I was expecting you... Elroy Vrigara."

He winced at the figure in surprise. "You're... a Neuroi?!"

"How else would you have described the weapons that you've seen from the other rooms?"

"I see... but... How? How do you know I'd be arriving?"

"Knowing you've done something risky and letting your original timeline coexist with this one... I asked your right-hand associate. He was left with no choice."

"Damn."

"We just acknowledged the coexistence link of this time and the past you made through your own portal. That leaves us with one question: Why are you here?"

Elroy clench his fists. "Something must have happened when they've conducted the Time-Jump operation at 1945."

"I see. So you went to see what became of the subjects then? Unforunately, I have grave news for you: It's now the 1st of November, 2015. And the news that reached my ears, is that they were able to rescue the subjects."

But Elroy acknowledged something else: He was too ahead of time. "Did you say that it has been a week or two? Damn associate... He calibrated it wrong."

"Indeed he did. But you shouldn't worry, Elroy. I made a recently made good deal with some people, and I'm about to more or less, start something that would probably damage the rest of the witches. It involves trade of dark magic... deception... and sleight of hand. They'll be confused they won't even it coming at all. The witches of the past will never come back thanks to the things I'm doing."

"I suppose you're talking of other witches related to our 1945 visitors?"

"Yes. But to let you know: 1940 was also another time some of the witches jumped to."

"So it's true... Mysterious images from the past." He wickedly smiled. "They disappeared months later."

"And since 1945 has been linked to this timeline... I can't access information regarding 1945."

"That's because my portal also disrupts digital information of any machine or device. Didn't think I would have a contingency now, did you?"

"No... and you're indeed impressive." Then, she talked with seriousness. "Enough about that. I'm guessing your objective here... is to destroy what you believe they would build: A time-machine."

"So you've heard."

"Elroy... it is not easy to find the time machine, and more or less track its materials. Only the nations with sensitive materials know where to get it and use them for construction."

"We're not going to stop them from building it. Rather... we'll send them a message to be sure if they build one we have the ability to destroy."

"What are you saying? We should work together?"

"What other way is there?" Elroy asked rhetorically.

"I see." She smiled. "But knowing you're here, you cannot be revealed to anyone else until the right time comes, so there's nothing you can do much. But I'd like you to help me, for the meantime."

"What is it then?"

"I cannot ask any of my goons to just... do tasks complicated from their agenda. That means, I only have you. And you... have me. Help me create beacons of evidence that can tip them off. It will be enough to leave them away. I've arranged events to happen all in good time. Task Force 16 will be most occupied thanks to this."

"Task Force 16?"

"...a task force from the United Nations Intelligence Agency. Hmph. They don't know how low I'll go and how cunning I'll be."

Elroy groaned. "You're only using me for that..."

"...but it also benefits you. Remember that, Vrigara. Wherever those witches will go, as I slowly trace them, I can slowly get updates... syncing the progress of the time machine of how I believe could be constructed. I've seen Daniel Nicholas and his works... and he's my priority right now. But knowing I'm out here, they're hiding him." She chuckled at this. "Ufufufu... Fools. They'll be hit before they know it. Even without Nicholas, I can slowly make them suffer. But knowing I can't be traced, I have to do this step by step... as what you would prefer. Not everything is simple, and I accepted that."

"Of course."

"So... do you agree?"

"I accept, Ms...?"

"...Valentine." She finally revealed her name to him with a smile. "I am Valentine... I spread not only chaos, but a legacy to us Neuroi. Humanity will pay for putting my own race down. They think they're so superior? We'll show them otherwise."

"...my kind of girl."

"Don't get any funny ideas. Ufufu..." She chuckled, knowing she might just have to get suitable 'body' soon. ' _Maybe I should,_ ' She thought. "Elroy, I've arranged a room for you in a hotel. You should be registered easily. When they see your face, you should be given a good room."

"If that's the case, I thank you. I'm as mortal as you think."

"But I know you have powers according to your right-hand associate. Fear not. They'll come back soon. XIAO JUN!" Her shout got Jun to enter past the opened steel doors in a hurry. As Jun hurried and stopped beside Elroy, he was irritated of him... again. She saw this, and puts her hands on her hips. "Tell me, Jun. Would you want to drive for him again?"

Jun knew the question was tricky, but he simply answered: "ABSOLUTELY NOT! He would just be a bother! I mean, how did you pick up this young man?"

"I picked him up, as I was already predicting at that time he should arrive. Jun... it's best you don't speak that way... or your family..."

"I know." Jun nervously spoke. "What do you wish?"

"I want you to drive him to Alder's and stay there. He'll be in a room sleeping it off for the night."

"And what about me?"

"Fool. You're a driver of a car. Sleep in the car if you must. Just don't die of suffocation though." Her cruel joke made him more nervous now. "And follow his orders if he tells you to go somewhere... or your fate is sealed. Understood?"

"Yes, V."

"And... hand him a spare phone kit from you." She then glanced at Elroy. "You would need some communication with me... and it's encrypted so they won't trace the call at all. It's a touch-screen phone... so you might as well get used to it. Read a manual, or..."

"I don't need one." Elroy immediately interjected. "It's a waste of time."

"No. It's a must... still. You won't be bored, but you won't be lazy either. You can trust me for that. I'll contact you about your objectives, Elroy. And you can contact me as well, if you have any questions. I'll make the first call immediately once he gives you the phone, and turns it on... just to test its connectivity. Right... Jun?"

"Yes, I'll do that." Jun quickly answered.

"Good. Now, go. Goodnight, Elroy Vrigara. Get a good rest." She smiled as she saw Jun and Elroy leave.

"I'll remember this." Elroy replied aloud.

"Of course you will... silly boy." Valentine said before the duo left the room. "Of course you will." She repeated in a mutter. "If you'll truly help me, you'll be rewarded. This is something that could push us forward." She smiles and eventually disappears from the capsule. " _And I'll be looking for your good service for both of us. You're indeed strange, but nonetheless clever, Elroy. I'll be waiting to see results._ " She chuckled before her voice fades from the room. " _This world... is... ours._ "


	4. Equipment, jokes, and enlistments

**Oh-yo! :D So… if anyone was waiting for the updates, the previous chapter before this one is actually Part 2 of Elroy's travel to the future. Part 1 was posted in Sky Dreadnought: Flight Alpha, my main story. (Check out my profile and see the story for yourself!) YESSSS! Finally a plot is beginning to thicken up! YES!**

 **Oh and by the way… I recently updated this, just to correct some stuff.**

 **I am answering reviews!**

 **To Colonel AmiruddinArifSulaiman: _Oh… noticing that, are you now? Well, we'll just see as time passes when they're working together._**

 **To An0n Author: _It's just the beginning of things. Dark magic's something for Task Force 16 to focus on. Even if it serves as a distraction, they're still out there being abused. It's still their duty to take down groups using dark magic, you know. ;)_**

 **So, my next chapter's short like the last one! And it'll include grandchildren of Colonel Amiruddin's OC's from the Second Neuroi War as well. ;) Try not to spoil yourselves by getting to the endnote and reading the character details, please. You'll be informed of the basic appearance of the characters in the story first. At least that helps.**

 **So… Where's the chapter? Let's not post it? JOKE! Here it is: Chapter 3!**

* * *

 ** _CHAPTER 3_**

 ** _"Equipment, jokes, and enlistments"_**

 ** _Meanwhile as the meeting for re-forming Sierra team is taking place from Patricia Halsey's office,_** two specialists who are first assigned for the weapons and equipment inventory were on their way to DC Branch's armory.

"Dude... ever heard of Halsey's plans?"

"What now, Luke?"

"You know... Sixteen Sierra's gonna be re-formed again."

"Oh. Yup. TF-16's on the move again. It looks like they're dealing with Neuroi threats this time. It's just for them, and it doesn't score us anything. Too bad."

"What are you talking about, Lance? If the Anti-Dark Deeds Division will do what it takes and finally make progress, maybe we'd be getting out there?"

"Hey, we're assigned as inventory guys until the agency gets additional guys for this branch so we may need to bear it a little."

"Oh, ok."

"So... what are we dealing with today?"

"Apparently, TF-16's getting a taste with today's used modern gadgets and other stuff. If I'm right, Flight Lieutenant Blomgren and Captain Yamakawa already used them along with the newcomer Neuroi girls."

"Alright then." Lance said just before they got to the armory. "Quick question... They don't know the 815th has a Neuroi, right?"

"Yeah, so?"

"Should we tell them?"

" ** _Not a chance, boys._** " An elder teen girl with a Malaysian accent said while approaching both of them. Her hair was black, curly, and has a length reaching the middle of her neck. A strand of red hair is noticed at the front of it all. "Task Force 16 hasn't seen everything quite yet."

"Lady PASKAL?"

"Just called me Nuza while we're alone. And for that thing about the Neuroi that the 815th have, I advise you keep it to yourselves. The rest of the UNIA except Task Force 16 is greatly aware of the Neuroi girl."

"Uhh... Neuroi girl?" Luke commented interrogatively. "What does THAT make the 'un-dead' Vermilions then?"

"They became Neuroi from being hybrids, still bringing their humanity with them. They're not the same as the Neuroi the 815th have since she actually came to being after a Mental Manipulation attempt. Gladly... it worked."

"Whoa, whoa... You're telling us a witch did that to her?"

"Exactly. You don't know how powerful a witch is."

"Of course. Tch." Lance said in irritation. "We don't have magic. They do. What does that make us?"

"Don't beat yourself down, Lance." Nuza smiled before she 'fisted' his shoulder. "So... what are you guys looking at today?"

"So you're interested at the stuff we got?"

"I've been transferred from the Special Forces unit to the DC branch Specialists Group. I don't mind... it's just that I won't be using magic for a while. It's okay."

"One of the substitutes? This sucks." Lance said before walking up to a shelf of black bands, somewhat made of strong rubber. "Alright here we got the G-Bands. Okay... here's the detail of this." He then handed over the paper belonging to the G-Bands.

She scanned the details of the G-Bands and saw interesting things there. "Hmm... Anti-Gravity bands..."

"Yeah, but they're only able to speed up horizontal top speeds. There's not much from the last version, except they hover a little higher and follow on the motion of the user."

"I see. I heard the new G-Bands are enabling long jumps from a required speed. There's even a witch who tried jumping from building to building in New York."

"Yup, latest model right here."

Nuza tried the bands, and knows how to wear them: It comes it fours, so it's for the hands and ankles. ' _I'm left-handed using pistols so this should work._ ' Then as she pressed a button on one of the bands, she starts to hover off the ground until she stays two a foot and a half above ground. "Ah... the feel's rather different but it's functional nonetheless. Let me try." And leaning forward, she hovered forward. She used the space of the armory to keep roaming with the G-Bands. It was fun, to be honest.

Eventually, she returned to where Lance and Luke were standing and deactivating the G-Bands before her feet were on the floor again. "Unfortunately, G-Bands can't work well for Land-based witches. But they work well at least for witches who can't fly a striker unit yet." She removed her bands and took it back to the shelves. "This is indeed a very capable tool, but just not for others like myself. It's still impressive though."

"Glad you liked it." Lance replied before he led Luke out to a walk. "We'll be checking on the sticky charges. Wanna come along?" Getting a nod, Lance sees Nuza come along. ' _This Malaysian's simply interested, huh?_ '

Eventually, Luke tapped Lance's shoulder and pointed him towards the direction of the sticky charges, since he knows where it is. Luke stopped the party and picked up a spherical-shaped metallic ball. It's got three small buttons formed up like a triangle. "Well Lance, I told you these sticky charges would be around here. See? I should be direct manager for all the guns and stuff here! Anyway... To the girl... this is a sticky charge and it can act as both a grenade, and like the title suggests, a C4 type of an explosive. But three things can happen. First... is the type when you throw this like a grenade and it explodes. To do that, press the button on the top of the triangle formed buttons over here. See these? These are buttons with specific functions. Like I said, press the top and it'll start counting down from 5 seconds before it blows up. So... throw it anywhere and that's it."

"Hmm..." Nuza seemed interested. "And the explosive charge's amount?"

"Up to a C4's worth of explosives would be the equivalent. Anyway, to keep it going, it can also be used as a regular grenade too. But this time... Well, I'll be demonstrating that instead." Luke gently threw it up once and caught it with his hand before pushing the second button, and made a baseball position for a fast-hand, pulling his arm for momentum while raising his leg and strongly throws the sticky charge to a wall. Eventually when it hits, it sticks and stays there like glue while making beeps in interval. "That's going to blow of course... up to 5 seconds like a grenade." And after a few seconds, the sticky charge blew up like a C4 on the wall. The explosion made burnt marks on the wall that Nuza thinks is bigger than a grenade's. "And unlike the last button, the sticky charge should stick to a stable surface before it starts counting down and blows up."

"Incredible." Nuza said with her eyes wide open.

"You haven't seen anything yet." Lance replied before he picked up another sticky charge from the shelf. "Yup... You've seen it well stick to the wall since he pressed that button to make it so. Then of course there's the third function: Letting it independently function as a C4 itself. To do that, the last button has to pressed... here. This button allows you to acquire the charge's detonator through that same button since it's attached to it from the inside and shaped like a handle, and the charge can either function as a grenade or a C4 to any surface as you desire. But take note that you gotta be careful about this button, since it can blow up the charge if any of its sensors don't detect the insides of a sticky charge at all, since it actually belongs inside one. If it does, it'll take itself out with the detonator and give you the options, while you're supposedly distant."

"It's a multipurpose explosive."

"Exactly. You got it." Then Lance puts back the sticky charge on the shelf. "So far... that's just about it. Nothing else new around here these days."

"Well, at least I enjoyed myself here."

"You're a Tank Witch, right?"

"Yeah?"

"What do you handle?"

"You mean my striker unit? I'll show you. Follow me." Nuza then led the two inventory specialist from the armory. Eventually, they got to the main strikers hangar of the base... While there are a few striker units available for the air, they eventually come across a Tank Striker Unit. "My TSU is right there: The PT-91M Pendekar. Nothing much to brag except the 125 mm Witch Cannon that's included. Wanna see me in it?" And seeing a nod from the two guys, she smiled and walked to her striker unit. She climbed on the launcher unit before jumping in the strikers, feeding her magic before letting her Tiger familiar features show. A small magic circle was revealed before it suddenly shrank but also powered her striker unit as well. As understood by a TSU, she was able to sync to movement of her legs and feet to the unit and eventually walks with it, leaving the launcher unit. "Good as always... aren't you?" She said, looking down to her strikers. "Too bad Adri isn't here, but oh well!"

" ** _Wrong again, NuZa._** " Another Malaysian teen girl walked in, having brown hair reaching shoulders and a noticeable white hair strand at the left side of it all. "So how's the well deserving Land Witch of the UNIA doing as a specialist? I'm sure you were just running. Right, Zakaria?"

"Eh?!" NuZa, whose real name is Zakaria, was shocked to see her cousin... in DC. "Adriana... it's really you! Wait a minute... aren't you... in Australis?!"

"Nope. I was transferred for a specific reason, that the brass knows. Seriously... When do they plan telling their subordinates at least a hint?"

"Tch. Still naive about military standards, aren't you?" Zakaria then glanced from Adriana to the two guys who were confused. "Sorry... this is Adriana... my cousin. She's grandma Amirah's granddaughter."

Lance and Luke looked at each other. Then Luke looked at Adriana. "You wouldn't be related to Amirah... Sulaiman, would you?"

"In fact, I am." Adriana smirked and put her hands on her hips. "...the one and only. Actually…" And hearing Zakaria snicker, she pouts: "WHAT THE HELL IS DISAGREEING GONNA DO?!"

"Hahaha..."

"Face it... I'm the one with the image and the name here."

"Tch. Remember the time we argued on it?" Zakaria asked, letting them both remember they once used their own striker units against each other because of the senseless subject, even suspending them for two months because of it. "Unless you want a repeat, I suggest you keep things shut."

"Hmph!" Adriana crosses her arms. "You're lucky you're my cousin. And we're both lucky we have different fighting styles. But it's not a coincidence that we're brought here together like this... seeing you in your striker unit while I got my SU-35, somewhere..."

"...down the drainage pit?" Zakaria got back at Adriana and the witch simply gives out a chuckle.

"Haha... Nice. I'll be doing it again."

"I'd love a good prank, once a day, or every day... so I could chase you..."

"...and strangle me? It's is I, who has Super Strength, and not you. Ha."

Luke and Lance both looked at the two witches ranting at each other. "Uh..." Luke muttered. "Are these two cousins?"

"They're more like rivals."

"So? I'm loving them already. They're cousins... AND rivals, right?"

"This is gonna be bad combination."

And the next thing the girls knew, they were already face to face.

"You just don't quit, do you?" Zakaria whispered at Adriana, making that deadly glare. "We had our differences... so we might as well put it aside. We're here... together. I mean... what happened to us anyway? It's been long."

"Too long, Zakaria." Adriana frowns and sighs. "There's actually another reason I believe I may have been transferred here. It's due to a request I made two months ago to leave the Australis regiment, which was after our last operation in Sydney. It's... Tracy. She's gone."

"Wait, what?! How?!"

"Stray beam went straight to her head while the rest of the air regiment was fighting a large-type. I'm sure by the rest of the story, you'll know..." Adriana sniffles, now noticeable that her eyes were wet. "...you'll know she's..." She didn't finish as she suddenly hugged Zakaria.

Zakaria had it to just hug Adriana in response to calm down her cousin. ' _Idiot. You went to actually boast your image first when you also knew Tracy was dead._ ' But what she doesn't know is that Adriana made that evil smile.

' _Sorry, but I like doing this more._ ' And Adriana opened her hand, placing her palm on Zakaria's shoulder before her cousin was suddenly shocked by a jolt of electricity before it stopped.

The land witch stepped back and was able to get a stable standing as she breathed, before hearing Adriana laugh. ' _What the...?_ ' And her eyes glanced towards the laughing Adriana. "Was that a... joke?!"

Adri calmed down and looked at her cousin. "Tracy gave me permission to use that kind of joke. She's alive and well, my cousin." Then she showed her palm, revealing an electric buzzer. "She likes it cruel like I do."

"Ohhh... FUCK YOU. You're cruel!"

"I know, right? I'll never get tired of doing pranks on you. You're too serious, you know."

"Now I know how you excel in being the best joker and prankster there is."

"I know, right?!"

"That's it. I hate you."

"And I love you so much, NuZa." Adriana's words were accompanied by a group coming in. She recognized the young woman in glasses. "Ah... Branch Director Halsey." And she saw four other figures, with two of them as redheads. "And... You got guests."

Halley sighed at that. "Great. It seems you got some things to learn, especially who I am."

"Could you be more specific then?"

"Why do I have the feeling one of us will handle someone who brags?"

" ** _Because neither of you won't._** " Patricia said it to keep them all silent, before glancing at Adriana. "It's nice to see you here, Lieutenant Colonel Sulaiman."

Halley's jaw just dropped while seeing Patricia shaking the Malaysian's hand. "L-l-l-l-lieutenant Colonel?!"

"Not to mention..." Kyoko's wide eyes were accompanied by: "...that she's the granddaughter of Amirah Sulaiman herself," she reveals.

"AND YOU KNOW HER HOW?!" Halley pouts with a question.

"Please... read more profiles." A monotone voice spoke through Kyoko.

"Uh... Who are you?"

"Baka. (Idiot.)" Kyoko muttered.

NuZa walked beside Adriana for the confusion when she saw her and Patricia shake hands. "Adri, what's going on here?"

"I'm as dumb as you are." Adriana now focused on that subject, glanced at Patricia. "You made that request that I move here, did you?"

"You're right. See... after I've learned of your involvement of the Sub-Hive's defeat in Australis... I figured we may need coordination near us too. That's what you used with the rest of your regiment."

"A team isn't a team if coordination is not seen between members, Branch Director. Even if I wanted to keep on playing jokes on NuZa right here... we both know we're on the same side no matter what. "

"Tch. Right." NuZa muttered.

"I see that your wisdom precedes with your reputation, Lieutenant Colonel." Patricia smiles. "Which is why in authority of Director Fray and your former nation's CO, I'm putting you in command of a Task Force 16 squad. You're assigned to Team Tango."

Adriana winced at it. She's being assigned a squad? With no doubt, she straightens herself and stands in attention. "Thank you, Ma'am!"

Patricia then glances at the tank witch beside Adriana. "So you're Nur Zakaria."

"Yes, Ma'am."

"You've seen a lot of minor territorial battles. Experienced managing a rifle squad?"

"Yeah. Did that before... and I can keep doing again."

"Good... because you're gonna be commanding the Ground Support team for Task Force 16 as well... Commander."

"Thank you." After NuZa answered, Halley simply stared at her, and NuZa noticed it. "I look forward to seeing Task Force 16's Alpha and Sierra teams in action. Good luck to both teams. We got your back."

Kyoko nudged Halley after hearing no reply. "Say something, Halley."

"Tch." Halley silently muttered before answering: "Thanks. Same goes to you, Commander." And NuZa raised an eyebrow on that...

 ** _Later..._**

While Patricia had gathered the rest of the witches, NuZa and Halley had a talk. Zakaria already docked her strikers at this time.

"Do you have a problem, Flight Lieutenant?" NuZa asked, sensing Halley had some sort of problem.

"There's no problem... Commander."

"Yes there is. I can see that you want to avoid the subject." NuZa said, and Halley crossed her arms. "So it's true?"

"Whether you're in the same team or not, it only seems right that I somehow become judgmental."

"Then you're the one in the wrong here."

"What's THAT supposed to mean?! Look... I really never worked out with a Malaysian commander before. So... it's just that I have this feeling of suspicion and doubt."

"Oh?" NuZa smirked at Halley. "Then you haven't seen me nor Adriana yet, have you?"

"Not even once."

"It's true... We're in different sides of the world and we're rarely seen. That does not mean we're not making ourselves known in a sense. We may be rarely known, but we focus more on our career than our reputation. Isn't that what you do?" Zakaria explained. "Or is it you don't seem to trust me just because of the fall of Britannian rule over the Malay Colony?"

"I don't really think it's because of past events, Commander."

"Call me NuZa."

"Okay. NuZa, what I'm really thinking about is how you get along so well with your cousin and how you became rivals. At first I thought... one is right over the other, and I thought you're the one in the wrong."

"You shouldn't think that way, you know." NuZa crossed her arms giving a reassuring smile. "At least you told me that. Thanks for letting me know. Do you think I look like that?"

"I think so."

"Then don't think of this as a further problem. See... our rivalry takes itself to new heights for some reason. She boasts of the air kills she makes while I boast my tank kills. Neuroi just don't stop after all. And we challenge each other because of that. Yeah... sometimes one of us has a bigger head than the other, but I choose not to force myself that way. She's fine on her own for all I care."

"Well, it's good to hear that. And... I'm sorry. So I had it backwards? Adriana's boasting her name off like a DJ shouting on the mic?"

" ** _...do not!_** " Adriana pouted after overhearing the two. "And may I just clarify that I do have reputation and a lot of skill."

"Really? Then let's put it to the test then!" Halley said while she walked closer to Adriana. "You know, maybe we should disregard rank."

"Oh." Adriana glared at Halley. "I'd like that."

"That's enough!" NuZa got in between the two of them. "It's not worth anyone's time."

"It's worth mine." Adriana glanced from her cousin to the challenger Halley. "Tomorrow morning... Real rounds. Fine?"

"Fine."

"Fine!"

"Fine, and hell with our ranks!" Halley crossed her arms and Adriana did the same, before they were in a glaring contest of some sort.

NuZa dropped her jaw just because of this. Another rivalry was made between two witches. ' _And I thought I'm the only rival Adriana's going to have for her whole career. Ladies and Gentlemen, here's Adriana the champion._ ' And she sighed from her thoughts. "Know what? You two just focus on your nonsense while I finish up the tour on the armory." She walked away, then eventually saw Luke and Lance together. "What do you guys say we continue on the armory tour? I wanna see the other stuff I haven't personally seen yet." And after leaving the main strikers hangar, they went back to the armory together.

Halley and Adriana were still looking at each other, growling at each other.

" ** _Ehem..._** " Patricia's throat clearing got their attention. "I can certainly arrange something tomorrow morning. But I suggest you two let this day pass and work it all out tomorrow. Alright?"

"Fine with us." The two replied.

"It's good to know that. Blomgren, you got a little report to submit on this since you're taking the tone to a Lieutenant Colonel."

"Sure thing, Pat."

"And don't call me Pat, again. I'll see you later." After leaving, Patricia only noticed while at a distance that the two were glaring at each other... again. "Hah..." She smiled before walking to a nearby cooking cart, then grabbed a frying pan, and finally approached the two.

With two metal clangs, Halley and Adriana's grunts of pain were heard in the main striker hangar...

 ** _EPILOGUE..._**

Alarms were heard...

"Sir... someone's hacked into our files!"

"Wait, what?!"

"Sir... every file in the year 1945... Oh... NO. This isn't good... This isn't good! We're losing the damn files!"

"ENCRYPT THEM!"

"I can't, sir! It's jamming my controls and..." And an explosion was heard from his station...

 ** _Conch Republic..._**

"They were what?!" Director Fray said after hearing the news. "You're meaning to tell me the database was hacked, and it's unknown where it came from? Impossible!"

Old Danny and Jonathan were hearing Tyler's shouting. "Grandpa, what's going on?"

"I don't know... but it seems UNIA is having problems."

" _Sir, it's happening everywhere... Digital information's being hacked up at every online database relating to history. 1945 is the definite year for this and we're being fooled around here._ "

"I see. Verified?

" _Yes, sir. It's verified. Every single station around the world's experiencing the same thing and they're incapable of retrieving the files._ "

"Then start gathering every hard copy we've got... All the libraries... Even our data banks that aren't connected to the network. I'm on my way back."

" _Yes, sir... we're on it._ "

As soon as Tyler gets his phone hidden, he approaches Old Danny and his grandson Jonathan. "You two... there's gonna be a change of plans. Not only are we not allowed here, but we have to try putting ourselves in another location. There are no Cyber-firewalls being put up at this region and we can't afford having no protection. And right now... we got bigger problems. All 1945 files from the online databases around the world for some reason are being erased. It's not the virus doing this. If it were... it would have been traced to where it's getting its power from."

"Hmm..." Daniel was thinking about it. "So... Digital data... Being erased by some sort of unknown phenomena."

"I don't have time for your nonsense, Daniel."

"No, it's not... nonsense." Danny said before he coughed and put on his oxygen mask, and inhaled its contents, before pulling it off gently. "You old organized coot. It's not that I want to ignore the situation. Something is clearly preventing us from getting info from the past. It can't really be determined as to how it's done."

"At least we're lucky events are remembered. We can't search it faster like before since we got nothing... but we can still do things manually, although slower than usual. We're still up and in business. Almost nothing's changed."

"Um..." Jonathan muttered. "Sir, what now?"

"We're going straight to DC to find out what else is left after the damn database hack. Meanwhile... I got other locations that could be good locations for building a time machine. I don't know if this'll work, but the UPASRC base could be a concrete location. Problem is... it's near or within a city. Still, it's a damn good place."

"Better than nothing, but it's rather grandpa and I head there ourselves."

"We'll have to see it for ourselves anyway." Danny said. "It's not like we got anywhere else to go after all. Better anywhere for a time machine than never, since we know how to get it done."

"Alright." Tyler replied. "I'll be heading straight back to DC then. I'm requesting another private jet for you to get there. Inspect the place... and see if there aren't any problems in the facility. Meanwhile, you two wait here. It should take a few hours before the jet arrives. They'll inform you if they're at the airstrip." And his last instructions were what the two heard from him before he left with his private jet.

Another private jet arrived at the airstrip to pick up Daniel and Jonathan, and they flew out of the Florida Keys and going straight to the UPASRC base.

If things are indeed getting worse for UNIA and the rest of the world's agencies, it was only the beginning of it...

* * *

 **OC DETAILS, Like I said:**

 **[NUR ZAKARIA BINTI MAT JAAFAR nickname: NuZa, Tiger, Lady PASKAL]**

"Be good as dead… or maybe I can spare you fear and shove a shell in you!" * ** _Fires_** **_125 mm shell…_** *

"ADRI! My cannon fired a prank-flag! Prankster!"

Callsign: Shell-hand, Sixteen-Victor Actual

Birthday / Age: October 4 (Aged 18 in October 2015…)

Height: 5 feet 5 inches (165 cm)

Hair: Curly black (neck lengthened) and notable red highlight strand of hair only at front

Eye color: Olive green

Skin: Fair to tanned complexion

Body Shape: Lean

Rank: Commander

Nationality: Malaysian

Affiliation: Malaysian Naval Special Forces, UNIA Special Forces, UNIA Washington DC Branch Specialists Group, UNIA Task Force 16 (Ground support)

Aircraft / Striker: PT-91M Pendekar Tank Striker Unit

Familiar: Tiger

Weapons: Primary – 125 mm Witch Cannon, Secondary – M4A1 Assault Rifle or Fabrique Nationale MAG 7.62mm general-purpose machine gun

Strikers can be equipped with: Grenade Cannon (Maximum of 10 shots) that fires two at the same time to a laser-pointed direction.

Intrinsic Ability: **_Detonation (_** As the amplified version of Amirah Sulaiman's ability Eruption, Detonation allows the user to use projectile-weapons with its projectiles landing an increased amount of damage. A shell shot from a tank doubles the explosion. A shot from any weapon makes its hole bigger due to the extreme force amplified onto the round. ** _)_**

Backstory: Zakaria and Adriana, along with her newborn sister Katrina went through a bad stage in their lives after the Malay Colony had been separated from Britannian rule and have been left no choice but to move to their actual country now known as Malaysia. Along with the old Amirah Sulaiman herself, they lived their good years while adjusting to the culture of the modernized country. They've known to each other as cousins.

They registered in the military when they found out the world wasn't as peaceful as the years before, even after the Second Neuroi War and the Vietnam Neuroi Incursion. This was due to the full blessing given by Amirah after Adriana asked her about it. It was closely related to the fact that Adriana and Katrina's mother had been killed while fighting Neuroi scouts during the South Asian Neuroi Incursion in 2005.

Zakaria agreed to Adriana's decision, and began doing her best: As a Land Witch.

She was formerly a Malaysian Air Force witch, serving as a tank witch. Her reputation earns her rank of Commander since shore landing assaults are her specialty as well as early bird assaults on the ground, with her time as a marine tactician. This also gave her the alias "Sky n' Shore Surfer" since an Air Force witch can successfully command a whole unit to take on a Neuroi shore unit. This event was based on Australis. (Yes… Adriana and Zakaria met there too.)

She even got to be enlisted in the UNIA Special Forces groups, before being assigned to the DC Specialists branch and UNIA Task Force 16…

 **[AISYAH ADRIANA BINTI SULAIMAN]**

Callsign: Gold Hornet, Sixteen Tango Actual

Birthday / Age: December 7 (Aged 18 from October 2015)

Height: 6 feet flat (183 cm)

Hair: Brown and curly shoulder lengthened, with a strand of white hair on the left side of her head.

Eye color: Brown

Skin: Fair Complexion

Body Shape: Average (Somewhat thin)

Rank: Lieutenant Colonel

Nationality: Malaysian

Affiliation: Malaysian Royal Air Force (Formerly in line with the Britannian RAF), UNIA Special Forces, UNIA Australis Research Regiment, UNIA Task Force 16 (Tango)

Aircraft / Striker: SU-35 Super Flanker Striker Variant

Familiar: Tiger

Weapons: Primary - 30 mm Cannon gun / RPG-7 Rocket Launcher, Secondary – FAMAS Assault Rifle / Sig-Sauer P-228 pistol

Strikers can be equipped with: AIM-9 Sidewinders, AIM-54 Phoenix missiles, Air-to-Ground Hydra Missiles

Intrinsic Ability: **_Super Strength (_** This allows the user to lift more than usual with the help of magic. As the name suggests, it will allow additional strength to flow in the user. ** _)_**

Backstory: Adriana and along with her sister Katrina are direct descendants of Amirah Sulaiman, a witch serving the military during the Second Neuroi War.

Zakaria and Adriana, along with her newborn sister Katrina went through a bad stage in their lives after the Malay Colony had been separated from Britannian rule since 2001 and have been left no choice but to move to their actual country now known as Malaysia. Along with the old Amirah Sulaiman herself, they lived their good years while adjusting to the culture of the modernized country. They've known to each other as cousins.

They registered in the military when they found out the world wasn't as peaceful as the years before, even after the Second Neuroi War and the Vietnam Neuroi Incursion. This was due to the full blessing given by Amirah after Adriana asked her about it. It was closely related to the fact that Adriana and Katrina's mother had been killed while fighting Neuroi scouts during the South Asian Neuroi Incursion in 2005.

2005 was also the time Adriana had to send Katrina away to a place that's safer from Malaysia's dangerous neighborhoods. Kat was four that time, and both her and Adriana got tears to shed from them before they separated. Adri wiped the tears off her face as soon as Katrina left, knowing tears to cry aren't going to heal every single wound she'll have when she fights.

While Adriana is taking her time in fighting, she also made time in studying intelligence and tactics, which boosted her rank. And only from her time of four years as a fighter and a tactician, she became a Lieutenant Colonel…

She recently joined the UNIA Australis Research Regiment discovering new Neuroi species and researching new weapons against them. Along with it came the times that they had to fight the hive, along with a surprise guest, who was supposed to be dead. She later transferred to UNIA Task Force 16…

And a side note: Adriana is a joker, and a cruel prankster too.

 **And… I'm done. See ya'll next chapter. Next week, I guess. ;) Leave a review or PM me on it! Thanks!**


	5. Mothers, Daughters, and Early Birds

_**CHAPTER 4**_

" _ **Mothers, Daughters, and Early Birds..."**_

 _ **2100 hours…**_

 _ **Penthouse roof… Washington DC…**_

The penthouse roof of the hotel was marble-tiled all over. There was medium-sized pool with calm water in it. No ripple moved the calm and still image of the water and the reflection of the moon shining upon it.

Adriana was lying on a pool bench while looking up the night sky, full of stars. It wasn't always a starry night back in Malaysia, as she remembered it back then.

"Hah..." She deeply sighed, just thinking about the past. ' _It's been quite different from back then._ ' "Just a little too focused on things and I never had time to take a break."

" _ **Really?**_ " Adriana was spooked by the teenage girl's voice, who was actually Zakaria who came to the penthouse roof. "Nice place you got here." She said it when she was beside Adriana.

"Tch... What are YOU doing here? Aren't you thinking about your boyfriend?"

"I DO NOT have a boyfriend, mind you. Still... you're annoyed I'm here. Good."

"What? So you want to annoy me?"

"Eh... Not at all." Zakaria raised her hands, not intending to do something on purpose. "How did you purchase this unit anyway?"

"I'm not rich, but I do have some things I can spend on."

"You know... your virtues are fading."

"It never did. What...? You think if I bought a whole floor I'd be fading from my own virtues from before? I think of those who don't have the cash to even get a bed, NuZa. And you know what I do? I give whatever I could to those people. But I just... I just see too many who abuse what I give. I didn't turn away from what I believe in. It's the people who abuse what I give that make you think of me wavering from what I believe, and they make me sick."

"At least you're mean to them and not me."

"Relieved?"

"Relieved of what?"

"Are you relieved that I'm still the same person?"

"I'm relieved to still see that bright side from you, Adri. Like it or not, you got two personalities."

"And what are those two: Ruthlessness and kindness? Think better. We're practically sisters from before and you don't remember..."

"...because you're just so stubborn. You're the one who's most eager between the two of us to try everything you see. That's made me stay away."

"Ah."

"Do you know now?" Zakaria turned her head away and looked at the pool.

While this was happening as Adriana was looking at Zakaria, after saying that simple puzzle that was missing, she might have felt terrible. ' _Maybe I'm going a bit too far from those years._ ' "Hey, NuZa. Mind if you answer a stupid question?"

"As long as I'm not stupid like you are, you can."

"Ugh..." Adri's groan wasn't a further issue and continued nonetheless. "NuZa, why didn't you say anything?"

"It's because you were old enough to understand, and you act like a child." Zakaria then looked at Adriana and glared at her. "Now do you understand? You didn't change from then." And she paused there. As Adriana looked with a frown towards Zakaria, the other girl smiled. "That's more like it."

"What?"

"You admit it, silly."

And Adri blushed while looking up to the sky. "I wasn't admitting anything."

"You were! You're embarrassed just because you admitted it through your emotions, asswipe. Look... can't you be satisfied that I even considered your feelings to be valid enough? I understand you didn't know, because I'd forgive you from then. Okay?"

"You didn't say anything... Fuck you."

"And the same goes to you, Adri. Hehe... You never washed your wrongdoings away, haven't you?"

"I haven't... and I never will."

"Come on. You still have a chance to. I still do the rite after all."

"Still doing it?"

"You still know how to do it, Adriana. It's not too late."

"No."

"Then you haven't changed."

"Anything wrong with it?"

"No. You've got your benefits... and your disadvantages too."

"I believe in myself, and in what I do. That's what propels me forward, Zakaria. Believe what you will or want, but I already have my own actions telling me who I am."

"Would your sister feel the same?"

"Don't..." Adriana glared at Zakaria. "...mention her... ever." And by that, she sat up on her pool bench while glancing away. "And the door's in the apartment room."

"Tch. Go ahead. Strip yourself again." Zakaria muttered before walking away, irritated.

This made Adriana smile. And something to top Zakaria's irritation was asked: "Wanna see me undress?"

" _Now you're gross,_ " Zakaria said while in the apartment room and slamming the door close.

' _She has temper as always._ ' And she chuckled after thinking just as she stands up and heads into her apartment room. Eventually, she closes all the curtains. And as she promised herself, she stripped herself bare, not ashamed of what it may do. She even turned off the air conditioner just to make sure she's aware.

 _ **Adriana –**_ _Zakaria's always got temper when she saw my stubborn attitude to try everything. What propelled me forward is my belief... and my own rough calls. I studied intelligence and tactics on the way to being both a fighter, and an officer. It even had me take control of an air wing in Indonesia and another in Australis for the UNIA. What other people don't know about me, is the way I'm a model to them, is half a lie. In truth... I discarded my own religion to the important things I need in making a good career. All there was and is, would and should be... the hard work, and your faith in yourself. That's the motto I took when I started training before I came to the top. I didn't take promotions when I took the position of Lieutenant Colonel either. Why? I'd lose my privileges. The fight takes me everywhere, and I'm proud enough to maintain myself that way._

 _And now that I'm bare, I had to sleep. Another busy day tomorrow, and another day of work is waiting. But as I lied down, took the covers on my bare body and closed my eyes..._

A knock was heard on the door of her apartment room and she opened her eyes.

 _...I thought wrong it would be peaceful enough before that._

Ember was in front of the door of the presidential suite of the fine hotel in DC. ' _Damn... I never knew she's got cash to buy this. Blaze isn't here. Good. I don't wanna disturb her anyway._ '

And the presidential suite's door opened, revealing a robed Adriana glaring at Ember. "I'm trying to get a good night's sleep, Ember. Did I get your name right?"

"Yeah."

"I'm sorry. I thought you were called Inferno or maybe, Firestorm. Get lost." And as Adriana pushed the door close, Ember blocked the door with her arm and foot, then gently pushed it back open, revealing her red glowing eye.

"Don't be reminded again of what I can do, Adri. It's just for the night." Ember said this while dimming her red eye back to her original eye color.

"What...? You wanna sleep here?"

"Look... I needed time to think. I thought I'd get away, and... I knew when I search the directory... I'd find you."

"Tch. You have a bad habit of choosing your friends."

"You wanna be?"

"There's a condition: Go along with whatever happens in my room."

"Deal."

"Then get your butt in here." Adriana walked back to let Ember in. Eventually, Ember entered through the door. "Now, close it." Then Adriana turned back and walked to her bed, slowly untying her robe. "Is it closed?"

Ember then closed and locked the door. "It's even locked."

"That's good." Adriana finally got her robe untied, and slid it off her, revealing her bare body and skin.

She couldn't believe it, and Ember turned away blushing. ' _What in the...? Is THIS what she meant?!_ '

Adriana then sat on her bed holding her covers before looking at the embarrassed Ember beside the bed. She licked her lip. "Having trouble?"

"Umm... Why are you... naked?"

"I told you. Go along with it." Adri smirked before putting the cover over her and turned her body to her end of the bed. "Now lie down and get to sleep, Inferno."

"It's Ember."

"Whatever."

Ember got a little irritated and removed her shoes regardless, before she lied down on the bed herself...

 _ **2301 hours...**_

It's been two hours, and somehow, Ember couldn't sleep. Like Adri, Ember was facing her end of the bed, and she was still wide awake. She couldn't sleep. She couldn't get something out of her mind to be relieved for the night. She didn't even hear Adriana snore, even softly on that matter.

This made Ember a little curious and asked in a whisper: "Are you... still awake?"

Adri gently opened her eyes, and wasn't even groggy. "You tell me. Can't sleep?"

"Y-yeah. Sorry. Did I disturb you?"

"No." Adri sighed afterwards.

"You okay?"

"Yes, I am."

"Well I'm not. I don't know."

"I see." Adriana started thinking of a subject that might have been related to the situation they have. "Who are you thinking of?"

"Huh?"

"I know you're thinking of someone. This... happened before. No worries, Ember. Not leaving the room. I get it."

Ember knew that she might trust Adriana for this. "Okay. I believe you. Well... I'm thinking of my mom."

"Wait, what? Me too."

"No... way." Ember then turned herself around in her cover. But as she viewed Ariana, the other girl was facing her too. This made her blush, again.

And Adriana smirked like last time. "Don't worry about me, okay? Those thoughts will be our little secrets."

"Are you enjoying this?"

"No. Well... yes."

"Tch."

"Come on, Ember. Anyway... I'm thinking about my mother as well. And you're thinking about yours. What happened?"

"She... died. When Blaze and I were in London seeing her handle refugees and supply deliveries there, well... a man approached her. That's when we only realized too late with his belt and jacket of explosives that he was a suicide bomber. Mom was killed in the explosion with 16 others near an ammo depot. Part of that outpost was damaged. I'll never be able to forget how mad I was then. I was uncontrollable, and I chose to go into hiding with Blaze for it. For so many years... we've been hunted. Blaze and I were Neuroi hybrids back then. Before... I was. Then Blaze was biologically related to me, but she has the blood of a Neuroi too."

"How did that happen?"

"We had a Neuroi of a mother. Well... I'll leave that story to another time, Adriana."

"It's fine."

"Anyway... The two of us are being hunted for many years. But slowly as we gain ground for ourselves, we kill those hunters."

"Were you two lusting for kills?"

"Perhaps. Actually... it's me who has it more. Blaze has a mind of sanity and reason than I do. We were helped by rebel Neuroi back in the Second Neuroi War. Now? I don't know where they are. They left for a very important mission, and they won't be back. That's the last time we've ever heard from them. From then, Blaze and I were tending to ourselves. If anyone had to hunt us, we kill the ones who sent them. Plain and simple."

"That's sad."

"Don't pretend you're sympathetic, Adriana. I know you don't care."

"I do too!" Adri quickly answered it and Ember was kept silent. "Wait... I'm... I'm sorry."

"Huh?"

"It's just... I felt something that's probably the same with you. I... just do what I do, just to earn a lot of experience, and probably suffering too."

"You wanna compare me to you? Tch."

"I'm sorry. I don't know how to say it."

"Nah, it's fine." Ember then thought of the conversation and realized something else, then talked to Adri again. "Hey... You said you were thinking about your mom, right?"

"Yes. I was thinking about my mother." Adriana was looking Ember straight in the eye. "This never leaves the room, Ember. Got it?"

"Yeah. I got it."

"I'm thinking about my mother. It started since 2005... while I was still in Malaysia. Zakaria was with me back then..."

 _ **FLASHBACK...**_

 _ **Year 2005, Malaysia...**_

 _Things were getting worse that time in 2005. Malaysia is getting rocked by some foot Neuroi. And yeah... It's something even we're worried about since it's getting near our home. That time, I'm always with Zakaria. And... we were with my grandma, Amirah._

 _And so we moved..._

Adriana held Zakaria's hand in the night when they were in the bunker, hearing the noises that were scaring them.

 _...and moved..._

Zakaria screamed as she heard explosions, before Adriana covered her mouth.

 _...and moved. It's all the same. Two years, we've felt the battles in our country getting to a stalemate more times, since our soldiers didn't want this country to fall. But Zakaria and I were truly experiencing first hand how it feels like. All the explosions, gunfire and beam-fire were making us think that war was like this. Grandma Amirah even told us stories of her adventures during the Second Neuroi War. Both of us were being convinced of something: We wanted to be strong like she is... as a witch is._

 _ **Year 2007... Malaysian border to Orussia Major...**_

 _We were already in a corner. Malaysia's forces were once split into two, since the Neuroi have control of the country only in the middle. Without proper support of the allied forces soon, it would fall. Zakaria and I along with Grandma Amirah were at the first town at the border. There were three towns, and we're the first one the road leads to whenever Neuroi would pass around here... and we're unfortunate..._

 _ **2217 hours...**_

" _Adri... wake up!_ "

 _I was being stirred awake by Zakaria. Then, I heard noises of shouts and commotions outside our temporary home._

"What is it, NuZa?"

"We got a problem!"

 _Soon, the two of us started to look outside through the window. Grandma Amirah told us to sneak out at the back... which was preposterous._

"Wait... what about you?" Adri asked out of worry.

"I will be fine, child. Just go." Amirah's eyes of trust got Adriana and Zakaria to act, and both nodded before they quickly moved.

 _We both moved swiftly at the back of the house and moved to another house not far from it as we watched. The foot soldiers were holding all the other people hostage outside their homes. Then... as both Zakaria and I watched... they were executing them with the beam-rifles they held. Every... single... one. That put something in my mind that was something I would never forget: Our grandmother was in danger._

 _Then we saw her being brought out by the foot soldiers in a blindfold. They even forced her to kneel and they threw her walking stick aside. Those bastards. They were going to pay. I know it. Then in coincidence or not, came another group of people in blindfolds were forced to kneel, and were grouped._

 _We had to do something._

"NuZa, we have to stop them!" Adri whispered to Zakaria. "Grandma's in danger!"

"What about the people?!"

"No time!" As Adri was about to go, she was stopped by Zakaria. "But grandma is in danger!"

"You're crazy! We have to save whoever's left!"

"I don't know about you... but I can't lose grandma. I'm sorry." Adriana then pulls away and runs for her grandmother.

 _Both of us knew our own bravery was to be counted for, but we were both still human. We might have felt something from within us about being witches, but we never felt it fully before that night. But I didn't care, and neither did she as she ran for the people and I ran for the Neuroi targeting grandma. I have to protect her. My life... depends on it! She can't die!_

Adriana got in front of her grandmother and spread her hands wide. "Please... Don't kill her!"

The Neuroi that targeted Adriana had a flangered voice from behind. " _ **Get out of the way, human. You will be spared...**_ "

"NO! You will put your guns down! Please... I beg you!"

Soon, Zakaria arrived and did the same thing as she spreads her arms wide protecting the people behind her. "Don't do this!" And the Neuroi foot soldiers focused their aim on her. "No...!"

Soon, that same voice gave the order: " _ **Kill them.**_ " Then both girls screamed before the beams came rushing at them.

 _I thought it was the end for us... but that's when I realized something. As my eyes were closed and beams were coming at me... none of the rounds hit me. For those five seconds... I was scared._

 _But then, as I opened my eyes... I saw what's in front of me: A magic shield._

Adriana gasped in seeing the shield. "No... way!" And eventually, she saw and felt her tail as well, like it was natural to her. ' _I'm... a witch! I'm really a witch!_ ' As she examined herself, she knew the tail pattern was deeply related to the tiger. She then glared towards the Neuroi. "I... warned you."

Zakaria knew she also had a magic shield in front of her and her familiar was a tiger as well. ' _The same with Adri? And I'm a witch._ ' She then smirked at the Neuroi. "Messing with the wrong girl? You just messed with a witch!"

" _ **Witches?! KILL THEM! KILL THEM ALL!**_ " The voice got the Neuroi to fire beams at the two, but the girls held out with their shields still active.

"COME ON!" Adriana charged forward with her shield before jumping and pouncing at the Neuroi. With her reflexes, she was able to swiftly grab the Neuroi's beam-rifle. As she slid on the ground, her shield was deployed behind her as she fired the beam-rifle, seeing its rounds put Neuroi foot soldiers down.

 _I felt the exhilaration. I knew the recoil. My powers were helping me. And I needed to see everyone safe. This is my duty... AS A WITCH!_

"EVERYONE, GET DOWN!" Zakaria instructed the people, and eventually charged at the Neuroi then swiped a beam-rifle away, before unleashing rounds at each Neuroi foot soldier, even letting rounds pierce through them like paper. ' _Whoa!_ ' She briefly glanced at the people, now prone on the ground. ' _Good! That's what I need!_ '

Adriana saw a gas tank as she ran to it with her enemy's beam-rifles firing at her. She ran to the gas tank and threw it before aiming at it, and firing a couple of beams before it exploded at a group of Neuroi. ' _Yes!_ '

Zakaria evaded and shielded herself as she kept firing beams at the Neuroi, each one falling easily to her beam-fire. ' _This is amazing! Unlike Adri, I could pierce through them! What is this?_ '

With other Neuroi foot soldiers coming in as a wave into the town, the two of them joined up. "Adri... what now?!" Zakaria asked, just before Adri looked.

Adriana saw a military jeep nearby. ' _I don't know, but..._ ' But her gut already tells her what to do and just runs towards the jeep before holding its bumper tight. As she expected, her grip already goes well with her as she groaned and slowly lifted the jeep upward. "Ugh... Come on...!" As she saw the incoming Neuroi foot soldiers, she raises the jeep up and faces them. "YOU'LL PAY FOR EVERYTHING YOU'VE DONE TO US!" And with no hesitation, she threw the jeep towards the Neuroi. The jeep headed towards them, and they didn't see it coming as it crashed on the ground. Zakaria fired at it before it exploded, killing, and dissipating into shards, all the Neuroi surrounding it. "I did it!" And as Zakaria laughed and ran to Adriana to hug her... they thought it was over.

" _ **NO!**_ " The voice from before came from a caped figure as the humanoid Neuroi soldier landed on the ground on its feet. The two saw its appearance, as the cape slowly takes itself off to reveal the exoskeleton body that's different from the rest of the Neuroi foot soldiers. It was well-built like a human's body is built. It had a help that's shaped with a line forming horizontally on where its eyes should be. Its armor had purple hexagons on it. Eventually, the head and lighting of its helmet turned to the two of them. "You WILL PAY for slaughtering my division!" Soon, he reveals a bigger beam-rifle than the others the two saw.

The two girls growled at the remaining Neuroi exoskeleton humanoid. "You mess with grandma, you mess with me!" Adri shouted out her taunt.

"Unforgivable... You'd kill them for fun?" Zakaria then aimed her rifle at the exoskeleton Neuroi and was followed by Adri doing the same. "This is for Nielson... For Aria..."

"For mama..." Adriana muttered before they both ran for the exoskeleton with guns up.

 _And it took us three minutes. It was fast... and the two of us were first stunned by this. But Zakaria and I worked together. Two years of seeing hell was all we needed... just to turn into witches, and look where we got now._

 _As soon as our teamwork was starting to wear and damage the Exo-Neuroi soldier, our beam rifles are giving it its own medicine. He dropped his bigger gun and we were gaining our advantage._

 _Soon... It was on the floor, crawling with no fear but still damaged and tries to get away._

" _ **You... are both stronger. I concede.**_ " The Exo-soldier said while his armor was damaged and was not healing itself and its core is exposed partially. "Spare me."

Zakaria aims her beam-rifle at the Exo-soldier beside Adriana. "For them..."

Adriana aims her weapon, showing no mercy. "For mama... You're not worth our mercy." And she squeezed the trigger.

 _And as we both squeezed the triggers of our weapons, we saw it blow up to shards. That was our defining moment. It was something that marked us the first ruthless child soldiers of the war in Malaysia. We never forgot that moment. As soon as we released the people and grandma, everybody cheered. They treated us, like heroes. I don't know if we deserved it. All the trauma in the past paid off though. We had to do something about that. And with grandma Amirah's blessing, we were allowed to register as fighting witches._

 _After that town was finally secured by the allied forces, Malaysia was slowly being liberated from then on and was slowly being taken back again. After the two of us registered and started our training, part of our training was fighting in a real battlefield, since we have that chance. Zakaria and I worked separately after that. I went to an experimental regiment belonging to the UNIA and took part of its intense training regimen in the air force security. My cousin was in the Malaysian RAF as a tank witch. I hear a few times of her successes in Australis when it comes to shore landings. Her being a tank witch and a strategist brought her to finally reach the rank of Commander while I was got to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel._

 _While I was stationed in Australis... I saw Zakaria again. We had differences thanks to our experiences, of course. We had good and bad times then, but we never forgot each other, even as rivals... That's what kept us being allies, even as rivals anyway._

 _That's what the loss of my mother brought us to._

 _ **END OF FLASHBACK...**_

"And now I'm here... telling it to you." Adriana smiled, seeing Ember's wide eyes. "Surprised I went to hell just to be remembered in Malaysia?"

"Whoa..."

"Ember... no matter how much your experiences to remember bring you your next actions... I'd like you to follow my advice: Use whatever time you have, to do you good. I don't know... but you wasted time running and attacking your own hunters that you didn't really see much in life, which may be the reason why you're here with me. You don't feel safe, do you?"

"No one is."

"I feel you, Ember... and I feel the same way."

"Really?"

"Yes, Ember. I feel bad at first, but now I could make myself safe whenever I want. And you can do the same too, if you want."

"I'd... I'd like that. T-thank you... Adri. Mind if I call you that?"

Adriana blushed at this. "O-oh... I... I called you Ember... didn't I?"

"Y-yeah... You kind of did that a few times by accident."

"I don't mind... I really... don't mind." And Adriana's words were the last things they heard from themselves before they realized something: They were holding hands. As they realized it, they let go of each other's hand. "Sorry!"

"No... it's fine! Really!" Ember said with a blush, turning away facing back to her side of the bed. "Um... Goodnight."

Adriana was facing her side of the bed, also blushing thanks to what happened. "Yes... Goodnight... Ember." As she looked without focus, she imagined that moment and played it again and again in her mind. She smiled at those thoughts... and went to sleep...

The only thing that Ember realized is that she held someone's hand in the moment and smiled too. ' _Crap... First Shirley... Now..._ ' She shook her head. " _Damn it... If Shirley didn't kiss me, I wouldn't feel this way much more. No. I still have to see her. I still have to._ " She sighed, just before she slowly closed her eyes.

 _ **The next morning...**_

 _Ember told me that she was going to New Jersey to actually talk to the legendary Shirley Yeager. Zakaria came with me, and Ember's sister Blaze came with us as well. We all took a subway train getting to New Jersey. It seems Blaze went to this part of DC, New York, and New Jersey as well, since she was roaming freely before without anyone recognizing her for who she really is before. Quite a risk-taker, huh?_

 _ **A hospital in New Jersey...**_

 _Eventually, we got to that hospital, and Zakaria and I saw a good moment: Ember was holding Shirley's hand at last while they talked to each other. We were just outside the door looking at them._

Zakaria sighed at this. "I wonder if we'll ever have a moment like this in the future."

"Really?" Adriana smirked and chuckled. "Hehe... Like I would be immortal and I'd leave you... then I'd see you again like I was a lover to you?"

"W-What?!" Zakaria was irritated that she even replied quickly. "That's not...!"

"Oh, come on... You think it's not possible?"

"You've got to be kidding, Adri. I'm not doing this again."

"Admit it! You'll smile when you're old and you see me didn't age."

"We're rivals... Remember?"

"Doesn't matter, Zakaria. You and I can just look at each other... then get our faces close to each other like we're not siblings. Then..."

"Eww! You've got to stop it with those gross jokes!"

"How do you know it's a joke? I never even joked about last night."

"What...? Did you mean when Ember came?"

"That's right."

"So you really WERE naked even if she was there? You're gross, Adri!"

"Deal with it! I'm more comfortable that way."

"Come on, we never talked about this. You'd do that in front of me in your own room?"

"I told you... to deal with it anyway."

"I shouldn't be pulling rank." And Zakaria's words made Adriana's smile wiped off suddenly and started a glare at her cousin. "Let me remind you I'm a Commander and..."

" _ **Um... Excuse me?**_ " An Asian woman got the attention of the two. She was wearing glasses that time, and was in a sleeved office uniform. The two examine her for some reason and she looked nervous at it. "Oh... I'm sorry! Did I disturb the two of you?"

"Uh..." Adri glanced at Zakaria, and saw her cousin shrug her shoulders before turning back to the woman. "Who are you?"

"Oh... I'm from the UNIA Intelligence desk. For now, my name's unknown and you'll meet me... if I'm still around."

"What do you...?"

"Anyway, I need to tell you something very important. Will you listen? I'd like you to cut your earpiece comms for a while." And the woman's request was a little suspicious. Nonetheless, Adriana turned off her earpiece. "Thank you. It's about your grandmother."

That time, Zakaria was directly in the way of the door and behind Adriana when she got a transmission.

" _ **This is ID 07 to Sixteen-Victor Actual!**_ "

"Go ahead."

" _We got unidentified and suspicious SUV's coming in to your direction. And we're sensing Neuroi readings from within them!_ "

"Wait, what?!"

Adriana winced at what the woman said. "What do you know about Grandma Amirah?"

"She's actually the grandmother of one of the Musician Witches. She's named Katrina Khadijah binti Adam."

"And she's part of the of the Musician Witches? That's the 815th! Wait, what's going on?!"

"Latest intel suggests Katrina she might have ended up missing... or dead."

" _Oh, crap!_ " The voice on the other line speaking to Zakaria. " _They got HRL's!_ " But the other line didn't make Zakaria flinch yet as she glanced towards the woman, who's now seeming suspicious.

The woman smirked and made an evil expression. "Soon..." And behind her back, she formed a Neuroi beam-pistol behind her. "...you'll join her."

Zakaria saw the pistol's nose exposed through the back. ' _Crap!_ ' And she ran for the woman.

As the Asian woman took it out quickly with Adriana reacting too late, she gets her finger on the trigger.

" _ **ADRI!**_ " Zakaria forcefully raises the woman's arm upwards before a beam came out from the Neuroi beam-pistol. While holding the woman off, she shouts an order: " _SHIELD THE WINDOWS!_ "

Adriana gasped at it before she quickly reacted and ran back into the room. With her reflexes acting, she saw the window was being aimed on by a laser, which means one thing: A laser-sighted homing rocket launcher. "TOPPLE THE BED AND TAKE COVER!" With everyone's reflexes running, Blaze and Ember take the old Shirley off the bed while Ember pulls the bed to their direction, while Adriana gets her shield up. Once she's close to the window, a rocket came shattering on the glass and finally impacted on the shield. And with the fast moment, Adri felt the force of the explosion and was thrown off backwards towards the metal of the bed. Soon, the explosion swallows a narrow part of the room.

The smoke didn't leave yet. The bells rang in Adriana's ears. " _ **SHIRLEY!**_ " A faint voice of Ember was heard shouting as Adriana first saw black while barely conscious. This was an attack... against them.

 _And like the saying 'The early bird catches the worm,' we're the worms, and the birds were killing us..._


	6. In the midst of battle (part 1)

**OH… YESSSSS! Finally, I got ES 1607 taught about my formatting. Goodness, I needed to DocX connect with his profile and he likes the format. I'm sure you guys noticed the same format on the chapters from before in his Striker Suits: MAX fanfict. Anyway, he'll be following my format since he's new to proper writing and all that… Yes.**

 **Anyway, I'd like to point out and Ember and Blaze are definitely part of Task Force 16 now. Blaze is with Alpha and Ember is with Sierra team. Yup… it's official!**

 **So, here's a chapter that you guys may enjoy! Ember and her company of Blaze, Adriana and Zakaria were believed to be attacked. So, what happens next? Find out on the story!**

 **Here's Chapter 5 and quite short since I want to update quickly. Maybe there will be an update later? Or just tomorrow, I guess. Either enjoy, or perish in this world without enlightenment. MUHAHAHA… :P**

* * *

 _ **CHAPTER 5**_

" _ **In the midst of battle... (part 1)"**_

 _ **In a saloon where time and age never mattered…**_

"To Shirley!" Francesca's voice toppled the rest while the rest of the 501st along with members of Task Force 16 raised their champagne glasses. And the Romagnan continued. "She's not only my best friend… but she's the best witch anyone could look at, even if she's from Liberion and has a grand prize of a rack!"

" _ **LUCCHINI!**_ " The other girls reprimanded her. Seriously, she needs to stop the boob jokes…

Shirley couldn't believe it. Every member of the 501st was really there, and none of the witches from 1945 ever aged one bit. Not to mention, Kyoko and Halley's presence seemed a little suspicious. Even she herself had that age from 1945. For this, she smiled. "T-Thanks… Thanks, guys."

" _ **No problem, Shirley.**_ " Minna replied it while in between Sakamoto and Miyafuji. "It's something you deserve for the times we've been together. This reunion, is the unforgettable kind. Cherish this while you're still alive."

" _ **What she said!**_ " Lynette said next. "You didn't just break the speed record, but you certainly opened up a lot of hope for the new striker units at the modern age. Plus, you fought with us, and we got the peace that lasted as long as it could."

" _ **Hahaha…**_ " Mio laughed the laugh she's recognized for. "You made no joke out of striker units, haven't you?"

" _ **Nope.**_ She certainly hasn't." Halley replied before glancing at Shirley. "I know you saw me when I came into your room. Good thing you're already reunited with Ember. She missed you."

"I know," Shirley replied. "She just wanted… to protect me. She said she didn't want to get near me because I might be tracked and that's something she avoided the whole time. Now that I'm around… I can still do this. I can still tell her I love her, even if I'm old. I'm aware of that."

" _ **Then tell it to me here.**_ " Shirley recognized the teenage voice and turned behind her, seeing the redhead teen in a black and red themed dress. She smiled with tears flowing down her face. "C-Char…"

Shirley's tears fell as she walked towards Ember. "E-Embs!" And she ran towards Ember who spread her arms, before accepting Shirley's embrace and hugging her back. "Embs… You're here…!"

"I know… I know… Damn it, Shirley. I'm… so sorry!"

"No, Embs… It's okay. It's okay…" Shirley sniffed and kept sobbing. "I missed you. I missed you so much…!"

"You idiot… I know you do!"

"I'm sorry… I just think about you too much that I sealed myself up for you. I didn't want to…"

"It's okay. There's Vicky too."

"Tch… Haha…" Shirley laughed while gently pulling away, then wiping her tears and seeing Ember do the same. "Vicky, my half-sister… There's another Vicky as her granddaughter, of course. I never forgot that."

"Yeah. She wishes you well. I mean… you're being monitored for a heart attack?"

"Happens. Can't always change the fact I was letting myself go for a while. I keep thinking about you."

"Now I'm here." Ember then held Shirley's hand. "I'm…" She frowned before tightening her grip. "…here."

"Embs… What's wrong?"

"Do me a favour, Char. Please… wake up for me."

"Wait, what?"

"Just… wake up!" Ember's grip on Shirley's hand was tighter.

"Ahh… Char?!"

"JUST WAKE UP!" Ember's scream made Shirley scream before her vision saw white all over…

 _ **New Jersey, Liberion… Location: Southeast hospital…**_

 _ **-ATTACK ALERT!- Emergency coordinates sent to UNIA online emergency fast-response system…**_

 _ **Time of attack: 0934 hours…**_

Shirley stirred and slowly opened her eyes, while hearing the alarm in the hospital, while smelling and even seeing smoke. The bed was beside her but was toppled for some reason. It all happened so fast: She was taken off the bed while Ember toppled the bed behind them on purpose to protect them from some sort of blast. She knew Adriana deployed a shield after jumping to the window before that explosion happened. She was saved by the two redhead siblings along with Adriana.

" _ **SHIRLEY!**_ " Ember's shout got the old Shirley to groan. The redhead was in prone position and crawled to Shirley lying on her back. "Char… are you okay?"

"I… I think so… Who would…?"

"I don't know." Ember then glanced towards Blaze who was in prone position near Shirley as well. "Blaze, we better stay for a while. If they come in through the door…"

"Embs…" Shirley weakly said, but Ember listened. "They might be coming… after your friends."

"What?! The other two?!"

"Please… I took a while to… think and find things. I know… who was behind that Neuroi Exo-suit in Malaysia. I'm sorry. I should have told you."

Ember had to hear this. She knew she owes Shirley the time, and now they have it. "Tell me."

 _ **Outside the door of Shirley's room,**_ the door was at the side of the hallway. The alarm blared everywhere in the hospital. Smoke was around the hallway from that room. Zakaria coughed a bit while on all fours, getting her senses straight. ' _Damn it… This is an attack. It's clearly an attack._ ' As she looked forward, she saw the accomplice Asian office-uniformed woman getting on all fours. Before Zakaria would even allow the woman to gain momentum, she struggles to get up first. She succeeds and eventually brings out her Dual .45 elite pistols and aims them at the woman. "DON'T MOVE!"

The woman was on all fours as her head was pointed towards the floor when she heard the girl's warning. ' _She wants to restrain me?_ '

"You… bitch. What the hell have you done for us to deserve this?!" And Zakaria's question was sent, but received no reply. It took a while, and the woman stayed silent. "ANSWER ME!"

"No… You answer ME!" The woman suddenly raised her head, showing her purple glowing eyes clearly from a Neuroi essence. "You killed my love back in Malaysia. Remember that border to Orussia Major?! I'm sure your memory is fresh to remember it!"

"Wait… Him?! He's your…"

"Exactly."

"Why?! Why would you want to join the Neuroi?!"

"What has the world promised us in return for the destruction of our town in Suomus? NOTHING. They left us for dead. And for years, we've been given immortality as a way of serving them. We both served a purpose of supplying intel. When I found out my love wanted to be embedded with his Exo-suit forever, I couldn't stop him. He went on his own way commanding a Neuroi foot soldier squad."

"No… That was… That was when…" Zakaria didn't finish as the Asian woman chuckled, and eventually laughed in the humor only she knows.

"HAHAHAHA… You sicken me." The woman replies, now straightening herself and was on her knees. Eventually, purple veins started to show on her skin, and on her face. "I might have failed to kill your wretched cousin, so instead… I'll take it out on EVERYONE ELSE!"

"You wish!" Zakaria then squeezed the trigger on one pistol before squeezing the trigger of another then repeating it as her firing rate was like a machinegun's. The bullets were going for the woman who was blocking the bullets with her arms, and she was getting wounded, not killed. And to Zakaria's horror as she stopped in emptying her clip and seeing the woman who didn't flinch at all the rounds given to her, she ran towards the woman and quickly threw her pistols away, before growling and doing a spin-kick. Her familiar features were out on her attack but was shocked to see the woman evade and manhandle her from her leg in mid-air. ' _What the?!_ ' But her thoughts were interrupted as she was thrown to the floor on her chest. Her reflexes made her see the woman jumping and bringing her feet pointed towards her head before evading and rolling, but accidentally hits the wall. ' _Damn it…_ ' "Haa!" Zakaria's shirt collar was suddenly grabbed as the woman with Neuroi influence lifted her up with both hands before throwing her to the opposite direction. Zakaria was thrown to the other side wall and hit her back hard on it before landing on her knees. Then, she sees the woman running in a charge with fist in front before Zakaria anticipates, then evades with her hands, only to be spin-kicked to her temple, putting her down hard on the floor.

The woman saw the witch go down and the familiar features eventually receding back from her opponent. She took time to observe the girl before glancing towards the door. ' _No. They don't deserve my wrath. They deserve the wrath of the Neuroi._ ' And afterwards, she moans as she allowed herself to transform, as white shards surrounded her feet, as it ascended upwards. The shard-exposed parts made a black armoured shell made from the Neuroi's hide with matching purple hexagons from the original outlining of the species. The shards kept moving and changing her to her hips, and to her chest. Finally as it reaches to her head, a helmet forms from the shards that changed her. The purple eyes that were once on her were replaced by glowing yellow lights on where her eyes should be through the helmet. "Now I'm ready… to lead and serve in the name of the Neuroi forever…"

She puts her finger on her ear. "Start the assault. Kill anyone and anything that moves. I'll be making sure to step out and guide you all. It's time we start to finish his work." And then, she turns to where the hallway leads her and walks calmly but quick…

Adriana groaned while inside Shirley's room hearing the alarms, then the sounds of gunfire and explosions from outside the window. Once she found strength to get up, she then moves to the window to see what was happening, and it was an ugly sight: Neuroi foot soldiers shot beams towards civilians and other police officers. Other NF soldier units used melee blades to kill men, women, and to Adriana's horror: children. She screamed in rage thanks to the sight shown to her before turning to the door and started walking out when…

"Wait!" Ember's voice stopped Adri for a while. "What the hell is going on?!"

"Ember… I don't know. But whatever their aim is… it's about something."

"Can't you contact HQ?"

"Right now, I don't think we can. These kinds of insane attacks are accompanied by a jamming frequency. I gotta check on Zakaria for more. She's connected to the intelligence desk and she knows." Adriana then leaves for the door and was in the hallway when she saw the unconscious Zakaria. "NuZa!" She ran and looked at Zakaria, then checked her pulse before gently slapping her cheeks. "NuZa, wake up!"

"Ugh… A-Adri? Where's your earpiece?"

"Busted. What about yours?" Adriana asks and grabs Zakaria and got her standing.

"Even if I use it, something's jamming the damn frequency."

"Shit… Whatever they're doing, we have to stop them, or they'll tear a new one in the city."

"I can't beat her. She's… She's simply…"

"NuZa, what's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong."

"Just tell me!"

"That woman was trying to avenge his boyfriend who died in Malaysia. I don't know, but…"

"What boyfriend?"

"The man… behind that Neuroi Exo-suit we defeated together, is the woman's…"

"Stop right there. Alright, so this may be a revenge mission, but now she's attacking others. Whatever they're achieving, we have to end it."

"Right. How are the three?"

"Let's check them out."

Ember gently slid a pillow under Shirley's head while rubbing her hand over Shirley's cheek. "Char, you'll be okay."

" _ **Vermilion!**_ " Adriana's voice got the three to look at the two Malay witches enter. "Is Shirley okay?"

"Yeah, she's fine."

"That's good news." Zakaria replied. "Listen, there's no doubt those Neuroi are attacking civilians and others in their way, but for what? We can't even communicate with HQ."

Blaze clenched a fist. "They'll pay for this."

"Wait." Ember barked out to Blaze to halt her. "We just can't get out there without any support. You know how foot soldiers are these days."

"I'm sure UNIA is sending forces, Ember. Right now, we have to do what we can."

"But we can't just leave Shirley in here! Damn it, think about her too!"

"Did you think about her when you left?!"

" _ **YOU TWO… SHUT UP!**_ " Adriana's shout silenced the two. "Both of you just get a grip and look at the situation at hand! Every time we delay, the worse it gets!"

Ember sighed before she suddenly morphed into her Neuroi armor form, still with her head exposed as she approached Adriana. "You wanna talk to me about getting worse?"

"You calm down…" But Adriana was met with a slap from the redhead. ' _That bitch…_ ' She thought before she tried to lunge at Ember but was stopped by Zakaria.

Ember was being restrained by Blaze. "LET ME AT HER, BLAZE! I'll cut her a new hole!"

"That's enough, Ember!" Blaze said while restraining her sister.

"Damn it, it's not worth it, Adri!" Zakaria said, believing Adriana will listen.

"Fine." Adriana said, and made a say on this: "Ember and Blaze will stay here and watch Shirley while the two of us scout the Neuroi party outside. Knowing them, we might expect a few to come back at our direction to check on us." She sensed Zakaria let go out of calming down and continued. "They're heading south, so we'll head down there too."

"But…"

"No buts, Blaze. NuZa and I are giving orders." And Adri glanced at Zakaria. "Right?"

"It's a wise move, Adri." Zakaria then glanced towards Ember and Blaze. "Keep her safe. We'll come back and check on you." And with a glance and nod on Adriana, she takes the lead for the two of them.

Zakaria eventually grabs her dropped pistols from the hallway and reloads, while Adriana was now holding and cocking a Five-Seven handgun. "Ready for this, Adri?"

"You think I'm not? I'm ashamed of you." With Adriana's smirk, the two walked down the hallway and were met with a turn to a staircase. They take the staircase going down. "You shouldn't have stopped me then, NuZa."

"Or what? You would tear Ember's skull in two? I don't think so."

"Oh well. I tried. So you're the boss for now. Take point."

"Roger."

* * *

 _ **New Jersey streets…**_

Gunfire and beam-fire happened from both sides as New Jersey police officers take on the Neuroi foot soldiers with Anti-Neuroi SMG's, and with ease, at least. But every human enforcer was more scared of the woman behind the Neuroi Exo-Suit, slashing and shooting anyone in her way.

Eventually, the woman takes cover behind a broken-down police car while a foot soldier was there. "What is the status of the jamming tower?"

"Leader, jamming tower is placed and now functioning. They won't take this side of the city."

"Good. We'll unleash their nightmares in reality. And our air support?"

"Until we take out the commanding officer from the human police force who has the fail-safe device, our air support will be crushed with AA fire."

"Then I guess we'll drag his body out in the open for everyone else to see." And with a chuckle, she jumps out to join the fight once again. "KILL THEM ALL!" She barks out their orders, and her NF Soldier units did their task.

As every police officer with a weapon was falling back, they still fell victims to her blade and beam-projectiles. Their mind never processed this: Their nightmares were only beginning to come true… and it was far too late for them to do anything about it on their own…


	7. Alexandra Awakens

**_Alexandra Awakens..._**

Her black curly hair was in the cold temperature of the water. Her eyes were closed, and she could only feel the cold touch of liquid around her. She was in water, and she could tell she was breathing. Then she asked herself where she is. That's when her body started to move.

Opening her eyes, she heard a voice: "Alex... Wake up." And Alex opens her eyes...

The water suddenly exhibited force from underneath, letting the black-haired girl surface and inhale air. She shook her head before she held her face with her hands before realizing the cold feeling on her skin. As Alex then noticed, she was nude, and somehow was in a bathtub of a certain house at some point. She looked around, finding there was no one there. For some reason, she thought she was in the same world she was always in, but couldn't put into place what situation she's in right now.

Alex was in a bathtub, and she eventually carefully climbed out of it. Seeing a towel by a rack, she approaches and grabs it before wiping herself and wrapping it around her body. Another towel was there and she dried her hair with it. She then turned vigilant and walked to the door before pushing her ear to it.

" _ **No need to feel alert all the time, Alex.**_ " The same voice that woke her up spoke from the other side of the door. From the tone, she looked to be in her mid-twenties like Alex is. " _Come out of there._ "

Alex felt she wanted to hesitate. ' _Wait... who's...?_ '

" _I'm someone you can trust._ " The voice said this from the other side of the door just before Alex put her hand on the door knob. The girl on the other side of the door leaned on the large cabinet, waiting for the door to be opened. The blue-haired girl felt Alex would be instinctive. And it was predicted as the door was opened, and Alex wasn't there. Instead, Alex was holding up the same girl through her collar with only one hand. "Nice job, Alex. Instinct, huh?"

And Alex felt strange for a bit. She felt time had slowed down the time she left the door open. At this, she winced. "Wait... What the hell did I just do...?!"

"Isn't it obvious? You time-dashed all the way to me in quite a zip. Short distance, but it's worth it, don't you think?" Serah says this calmly.

"Well who are you and what do you know about me?"

"My name is SERAH... Steam Ectoplasmic Robotic Autonomous Homosapien. I'm a bio-cyborg, but generally, a Steam-Spirit possessing a stable vessel." Serah smirks at Alex before a part of her turns to steam. "For example..." Serah dissipates into steam and gets loose from Alex's hand. Her steam form then hovers to the nearby bed before she materializes into her physical form, standing just distant from Alex. "My body can turn into steam-ectoplasm like I can. You see... I'm a bit of an advancement from the past."

Alex shook her head, not believing what she saw. "Am I high or something...?"

"No. You saw reality, Alex."

"What the hell is all this and where am I?"

"Slow down, Alex. I don't wanna rush the information and neither do you. There are things you probably don't understand yet," Serah explains just before she sat on the nearby bed. "Calm yourself and sit." But Serah's request had been returned by a glare from the other girl. "Okay..."

"I'd rather stand, Serah. First off... How did you get in my head?"

"Part of my steam is inside you the time you've awakened. I needed to get you going. I let it fade since I saw you left the bathroom. I only needed to acknowledge that you can hear my thoughts. That'll be effective in the future."

"Alright. What are you?"

"Steam-Spirit. But rather, the truth is that I'm an ectoplasm being... made from someone who had high psychic ability. Unfortunately, I died, but my ectoplasm survived. I found myself serving a master who actually built a vessel for me. But that was a long time ago. I have a new body now." Serah explained this to Alex, but she can tell the other girl is still trying to process things. "Getting back to the topic at hand, you're probably wondering where and when you are right now."

"When? Wait... Hold on... My name, is Alex but..." Alex then clutched her head. "I don't remember the rest... I can't... remember anything..."

"But can you remember the year you always knew?"

"I don't know... 1945?" Alex did her best to remember whatever she could at this point.

"That's right. But... You're 70 years ahead. The year is 2015."

"You're joking!" Alex almost freaked out as she stepped back. "Wait... I've been asleep 70 years long?! I got no memories and I don't know what the hell happened to me! Help me out here!" Alex demanded this just before she saw Serah dissipate into steam just before she quickly hovered and materialized in front of her.

"Relax, Alex." Serah had to glare just to get her point across. "I'm telling you things slowly. Alright? You can't rush this. There's no telling what might happen if your head suddenly tells you something at a bad time, so we're taking this step by step. Pick yourself up from here. You can start remembering but start slow. Let me tell you what I know. Alright? I'll simplify it for you the best I can. Please. I need your cooperation too."

Alex looked away and felt inclined to listen instead of being left in the dark. Having no memories could make it difficult just for her, but she's quite instinctive. Maybe she could take it little by little? She had to try and be calm about it. She lets a sigh out of her in response. "I'll wrap around this slowly. I'm sorry if I'm a bit of trouble for you, Serah."

"It's no trouble, Alex. I want to help you." Serah smiles at the way Alex responded. "Let's get out to eat, shall we? I want you to get filled."

 _ **At a four-star restaurant... 2036 hours...**_

Serah was watching in surprise as Alex herself was eating away at the steak and veggies served at her plate. ' _Wow... She's THIS hungry, huh?_ '

Alex was chewing the steak she was eating while holding the knife the fork on her hands. She noticed Serah's hair color was dark brown. She chewed and swallowed whatever was in her mouth in curiosity. "Um... Serah... Did you put something in your hair?"

"Nope. Hehe..." Serah chuckled before showing the tip of her ponytail, before letting Alex see the tip changed color to blue, then to green. That put Alex at a surprised emotion, just before Serah turned the tip dark brown again. "The answer to your question, is that I can change hair color in whole or partially on my hair. This helps especially when I'm in need of disguises. This is part of a low-profile move I make when I stalk or spy."

"Being secretive, huh?"

"Yeah. In a sense, I find a way for my powers to be used not just while in my steam form but also in my physical form. There's fun in both forms anyway."

"So let me get this straight... You got powers like I do...?"

"My origin is completely different from yours. Inherently, you possess Chronon, a material that usually used to manipulate time. You can move backwards on your own, but you can slow down and move within frames of time in a pinch. Though at this point, you're not fully restored yet. I'm sure you'll be able to get everything once time passes."

"You said I was asleep by the way. How?"

"I had to freeze you in ice... literally. You were critically injured back in 1945. Stabbed to the chest... given a lethal shock that affected your brain... even almost bled out. You were in a comatose condition. I had to wait until your wounds healed, but your brain would take longer to heal. So I froze you while I monitored you as you healed through time. I'm sorry, but it had to be that way." Serah frowned at this point. "I wish I could have spared you from your fate. You were so headstrong and confident in defeating your target. You just didn't know the target was ready for you."

"A target?"

"First clue I'm going to give you... is that you were there in 1945 to assassinate someone." Serah looked serious at this, and Alex seemed shocked to hear the information.

"I'm... a killer...?"

"In a sense, you are, with reason."

"Can you tell me more?"

"For now... No. I want you to pick yourself up slowly. Let your memories come back in time, Alex. You don't need to force yourself as I told you. Though..." Serah stood up from her seat. "There's one way to let your memories be jogged, but it's always a short way, and not always effective. Ready to see blood spilled?"

This shocked Alex. "Blood... spilled...?"

 _ **Time passes until the streets were almost empty...**_

 _ **2248 hours...**_

Serah was leading Alex as they walked together on the sidewalk. She was wearing her natural blue hair color as Alex first saw. Both of them were walking a little faster than usual. This had to be a stage that Serah was serious, and Alex knows it.

"Let's turn this way." Serah said it before she turned them both to an alleyway. They stopped as she saw under the dim light that a woman was struggling. A woman was pulling her handbag back from a man who was wearing a bonnet. The man seemed desperate to get it from the woman, so she headbutts the woman instead before she was forced to let go of her own handbag. ' _That bastard...!_ ' Serah thought of it before she sprinted and started to dematerialize into steam. "HEY!" She then transforms into steam before she hovers quickly before the man even started to run with the handbag. She materializes her hand holding his before pulling and punching his face. He lets go of the handbag and is dropped to the ground. Alex runs to the situation while Serah had the man pinned to the wall. "Run!" She instructed this to the woman.

And the woman replies by picking her own handbag. "Thank you!" She then runs away and just past Alex who just stopped near Serah now pinning the man down.

Alex then saw Serah's hand all the way up to the man's neck just before part of her steam-ectoplasm was being breathed in through the man's nose. It was noticeable that Serah is releasing some of her ectoplasm through an opened cyborg cartilage from her hand. "Uh... What are you doing?"

"Like with you, I'm going to scan what his thoughts are." Serah looked with lifeless eyes towards the man. "With his background, I'm sure I can figure out some punishment for him." Serah eventually accessed his memories and like a very fast movie she was seeing his life. Most of the part, she saw him killing animals secretly during his teenage years. Then he got exposed to abusive drugs, before he himself wasn't in control. He ran away from home after killing off his drunk father, and leaving his mother crying. This defined him to be someone struggling, as he kills for money at his best. After viewing the images, Serah sank her head down, before he glared at the man she imprisoned. "You bastard. Killing your father..."

The man was eventually let go by Serah before he coughed, hoping to get proper breathing right. He then looked at the girl in front of him. "Yeah, so?"

"You didn't change ever since. You just... You kept at it. You killed just so you could get something for yourself. How many people...?"

"So what the fuck do you wanna do, huh?!" The man then drew a small knife with his hand and held it tight. "Just die already, freak!"

"I can't do that, and I can't let you do what you intend either." Serah's eyes turned red before she dissipated into reddened steam... just before she hovered to him. He slashed at the form, but his hand only went through the steam-like form. She then entered her form through his nose and mouth forcefully as he was pushed back. When she finally entered in him, her red steam is seen around his body. The man screamed in pain for some reason. He held and clutched his chest and kneeled down. " _How do you like your own heart squeezed in full?!_ " Her voice echoed as he screamed in pain and collapsed on the floor, still holding his chest tight.

Alex saw the torture Serah is doing to the man. "Serah, is that even necessary?"

" _It's always been. He's been given many chances to pull himself back from the horrible path he took. This is his problem._ "

"What are you gonna do?"

" _I won't kill him, but THIS, will probably suffice._ " Serah then stopped the torture, and the man noticed it himself. He breathed easily and sat up, relieved. That was before he felt a sharp sting at his right hand. A big cut is being made at the base of the hand. " _His killing hand, will be his own reminder to repent. He never needed it on him._ "

"No... Stop, STOP!" The man begged as his hand was being cut more. "FUCK! AAGGGH!"

" _No. I'll have to advise you to save yourself._ " Serah said this with a giggle. " _Hehe... Or you won't even live to repent._ " By the time she finished saying it, his hand was completely cut off just before it fell to the hand. Blood sprayed for a while he screamed out in pain. She exited through her steam form out of his mouth as he screamed and crawled back and away from Alex and the steam. Serah then reforms into her physical form, still glaring at the man now fearing her. "You're lucky to have lost just a hand."

Alex knew Serah wasn't kidding. Serah was really waiting for blood to be spilled, though it's by her own actions. ' _Well..._ ' She then saw the man crawl and get up before he ran in fear from them. "That's gotta be something quite... Huh..." And she winced in surprised for something. ' _And I'm calm?! I just saw her amputate him!_ '

Serah then picked up the hand from the man and looked at the last direction he ran to. "You used to tell me you once took home a human hand as a souvenir. The reason why you don't feel scared of blood right now is because you only knew it as a source of life for anyone who has it in their system. If it's out of their system, 'it's just making a mess.'"

"I said that?"

"Yeah." Serah then walked to Alex before she pushed the amputated hand at Alex's chest and left it there, while she kept walking.

Alex wasn't afraid of the amputated hand and turned around. "Who am I and what am I missing? You might have told me my name, and what instincts I have." For that, Serah stopped walking. "But I wanna know who I really am, even if everything I know now gets turned upside-down. I thought you were that kind girl who wouldn't hurt a fly. I know better that you wouldn't even doubt in cutting someone's hand off. Maybe you could have cut his head for all I care, but it answers that I still have a lot to know."

"It depends." Serah turned to Alex. "You'll just have to ask the right questions. I'll tell you everything one day. It's your journey if you want to really know who you are. Your name, and your identity are two different things. Remember that. You know you got powers. And you know some of mine. That means something."

"And that is...?"

"I trust you. And you must learn to trust me as I have way back then. I saved you from dying. It's up to you if you want to do the same, but I won't stop putting my trust on you. I'm sure it's just guidance to what you'll do next." Serah smiled before she hovered and pulled Alex along. "Just leave that hand, will ya?! Haha…" She pulled Alex while the other girl drops the hand. Hovering down, she then started to run, towing Alex with her as they left the alley. She laughed and spun at the sidewalk. "We're gonna have a fun time, are we?"

And Alex didn't know what to answer that time. ' _Maybe…?_ ' After she thought of it, she noticed Serah was already walking away from her. "Hey, wait!"

 _ **2 days later… Morning…**_

 _ **Apartment room…**_

Alex was watching TV and was pretty much shocked of the news… New Jersey was rocked by a sudden communications blackout, while the situation is described that there is a conquest of a small Neuroi raiding group in one of its cities. She knew about the fact the Neuroi existed since Serah told her. But being able to block communications? This means they're organized.

"I see you're watching." Serah was there by the bed, but didn't mind Alex ignoring her the first time. "We're safe. But I don't have an idea why the Neuroi started to attack a city from the inside."

"Isn't it obvious? Infiltration."

"That's one way. But for what?"

"I don't know. Shouldn't we help?"

"We're too far from New Jersey right now. Plus… You don't even know if your powers can be used properly. You don't even have full control."

"Hey. You know I got combat training somewhere, and I was able to use it against you in sparring. Remember?"

"I remember but…"

"Look… You showed me how it is when I should inflict pain. If I'm gonna find out how it feels when used out there, you'll let me at it." Alex glared at Serah, trying to reach her point out to the Steam-Spirit.

Serah smiles in response. "Headstrong as always. Well… There's one way I can get us there." And she smirks.

 _ **In the air… 2,000 m off the ground…**_

The air was swept up by the form of a jet-aircraft that's invisible to the naked eye. It was camouflaged to be sure nobody is able to see it.

Serah was at the controls making sure the jet is flying well. "Next stop… New Jersey."

Alex was impressed. She never knew Serah had a jet like this. "Given to you?"

"You can say that. Master Gerard had some friends here and there and helped me out after he passed away. They built me quite the arsenal. This is only one of the things I've been entrusted to handle with care."

"He must have owed you a lot."

"I was his servant, for both with the good and the bad reasons as he thought. Still… I always remained loyal to him. After he died… That order of me living for myself, became a priority. I gave priority to myself, and somehow tried to fit in. Once I had my fill, I started living for others and helping them out too. I did all that while you were frozen."

"Ah."

"There will be no doubt you'll be ready for combat the way you are right now. Alex… This is your first labor for that agenda." Serah then looked ahead and smiled. "New Jersey ahoy. Looks like the fight's waiting for us."

 _ **Alex –**_ _I might have not found all my memories, but I already have an idea I was a soldier of sorts. Serah is mysterious, but she finds time to share the best she could while not forcing information in me. That's for sure._

 _That fight's waiting for us, she said. I didn't know how right she was…_

* * *

 ** _Well that's something! This is a sub-story and is related to the TF16 series. And yeah... Alexandra and Serah are my OC's, and will be characters in the same series!_**

 ** _Stay tuned for the next chapter! Gonna upload on the same week. ;)_**


	8. Chapter 6 preview

**Next on TF-16...**

 **In the midst of battle (part 2)...**

* * *

"You think Shirley can be moved easily just like that? It's not easy, and I should remind you she has a heart condition." Ember then gently placed the old Shirley back down on the bed. "I can't leave her. If you wanna do that, then go. The only one who had an extra earpiece was Zakaria, and she just left. Wanna go out there without communication with me? Be my guest."

* * *

"Alright. Distract it in 3... 2... 1... NOW!" And as Zakaria peeked her head out and got her legs to position in jumping, she saw Adriana open fire with her Five-Seven before the NF Soldier pointed the beam-gun emplacement at her and loosed repeating beam rounds. As NuZa jumped out to the car and ran, while aware Adriana's magic shield was up to protect herself, Zakaria jumped to another car as ran. Then, she finally jumped at the SUV while mini-beams from the sides were evaded, right before she got her fist out to punch the NF Soldier unit. She hit it square at the head before throwing it off, taking over the emplacement and aimed at the down NFS unit before releasing its own beams against the foot soldier that was defeated after blowing into white shards. Soon, the hexagons of the SUV moved to the roof before it shone bright. She jumped and put her shield up to block the beams. But as she landed on her feet, she found Adriana running to the front of the SUV, and attempting to lift it.

Adriana wasted no time as she grabbed the bumper of the Neurified SUV and threw it towards a building. The impact was strong as the roof's red hexagons were damaged. She saw the small Neuroi core before aiming her pistol and fired once, hearing a core shatter and the Neurified SUV blowing up into white shards. "My kill."

* * *

Adriana then pointed with her thumb behind her. "They're back at the previous street with the hospital there. I left them there to make sure to guard Shirley. She's okay for now, but she won't if she's left alone. They got a point too since they were dead serious."

"Ah. Alright then. Your earpieces should be tuned for short frequencies. Go Channel 7 on this one." Halley then proceeded to open the duffle bag that Kyoko is carrying and later takes out a Steyr AUG Bullpup Assault Rifle out of it. She took out a body holster as well, including the Desert Eagle side arm. "Yamakawa?"

"Roger, Sierra." Yamakawa wasted no time as she dropped the duffle bag and took out her M4A1 and body holster, which includes the FN Five-Seven sidearm she uses. "NuZa, Adri... There is a UMP and a Vector you could take from the duffle bag. We need close quarter girls to take on them in case things get fast for us on the jamming thing."

* * *

" ** _What's wrong?!_** " Victoria came running in worry. "I heard there was an attack right in New Jersey!"

Patricia Halsey replies. "The president has already been notified of the attack and is sending the military there. Without the enemy's air support, they can be defeated easily. It'll be swift."

"But… I can get there! Damn it, maybe you're forgetting Grandma Shirley's in the same city!"

"Ms. Yeager, I thought we talked about it. You're flying when you're cleared to fly. There's still the matter of balancing yourself together with your autocannons. And as for the safety of your grandmother, she's in good hands as long as she's out of sight from the enemy. The six who are in there will make sure of that."

"I've got to see things for myself! I can do it!"

"I'm not risking it!" Patricia raised her tone and others in the room looked at her and Victoria. "That's an order, Yeager. You're not going out there while you're not ready."

* * *

" _Search the rooms,_ " a grunt said in a detailed piercing pattern, now holding his beam rifle forward to the hallway. " _Two contacts are here. Be vigilant._ "

The other grunt then moves in to the rooms. The first then advances through the hallway, passing other rooms that are less likely to be hiding places of the two mystery contacts. The same unit hears a piercing scream coming from the teammate and is alert. Sprinting while leaving a red trail, the lead unit heads to the location of the other teammate. And unexpectedly, the primary unit finds the secondary unit walking intact. " _Secondary, your status?_ "

But the secondary unit seemed to have blue lines instead of red. " _Your secondary has been eliminated._ " Serah's voice was heard before she aimed her beam-rifle at the primary unit and fires repeating beams, shredding the target and hitting its core before exploding from its chest first. It became shards once it banged on the floor.

Then Serah's body gets shot from behind continuous before the core was hit. The secondary's body was defeated, but Serah's steam-ectoplasm remained hovering. Alex's SMG was aimed at where the secondary unit once was and winced at the sight of the steam. "Wait… Serah?"

Serah eventually materializes into her physical form, now glaring at Alex before zipping and lowering her friend's weapon. "Why the heck did you shoot me?!"

* * *

Blaze was clearly seeing the spikes from the back and the blue eyes from the girl behind the Neuroi armor just distant from her. "Oh my god..."

* * *

 ** _Chapter 6 preview_**


	9. In the midst of battle (part 2)

**_Hello, people! Finally, I bring you the latest update to the Task-Force 16 series under the Sky Dreadnought fanfict! Without further ado..._**

 ** _Let's call out the new characters! :)_**

 **[ALEXANDRA LUNAMARIE]**

"Damn it, out of the way!" *time-dashes past a couple of people*

"Now or never, Serah! I'm punching it!"

Birthday / Age: Unknown (Age 26 at debut in TF-16)

Height: 6 feet 1 inch (165 cm)

Hair: Black (curly and neck-lengthened)

Eye color: Brown

Skin: Brighter than fair

Body Shape: Athletic (Somewhat bulky arms)

Nationality: American

Affiliation: 65th Precinct PNP, The Agency

Weapons: Variety

Intrinsic Ability: **_Quantum Shift (_** The person can move forwards through time, but can manipulate it by the use of Chronon that seemed to be inherent. Thus, the person is called a Shifter. Time can be slowed down, bubbles of time can be made to slow down certain areas as an advantage in combat, and the person can even dash by the use of slowed time, all thanks to the Chronon in the target's system. Great care must be exercised. The user will have limits to how the Quantum Shift abilities can be used. ** _)_**

Backstory: Alexandra had an unknown origin, but she had an inherent power, letting her manipulate 'forward-time' with her Chronon abilities. From where she's from, they're called 'Shifters.' And she landed herself to be in The Agency, as a multi-verse agent, dealing with different dimensional threats, whether it would be situational, or just common people.

After coming in contact with people who threaten to conquer the existence with "God Crystals," Alexandra had to step in without permission, first pursuing a dealer for the crystals, and later getting a lead that a syndicate already started trading these with different dealers with a range of multiple universes wide.

Alex however is being targeted, and is in main agenda to her being stopped from what she's doing. She pulls through the assassination attempts and leads different operations to neutralize the crystal dealers until it leads to the source.

She dealt with the syndicate, but the protection order actually comes from the Agency's general the whole time. The rest of the Agency covered it up, and she forced herself in, even engaging agents with no effort thanks to 'Shifter' abilities. Until she got to the Agency general, she was met with the best the Agency has to throw at her. Her anger had risen at this point, and made sure there are casualties, while she's upset that many of the Agency's best assets actually covered the whole thing up.

Reaching the general, she engaged him, and he revealed he had the Quantum Shift as well. It wasn't an easy battle, and neither did it spare his office and other facilities in the Agency. Time was broken and things were destroyed quickly than how long they were built, like it was nothing to them. Killing the general later on, Alexandra decided to run, hoping for the best that she not only saved the humanity she knew, but also made herself a fugitive.

It was later revealed that her biological mother was actually the general's wife, who was also the one who took away Alexandra from her own father. He was dying, and he needed someone's essence to live on. So he attempted to take it from Alexandra, but she was taken away by her mother first. And her mother suffered for it, giving the remaining essence she has to him.

She moved on and gave herself purpose: To make the light of her planet brighter. She lived in darkness as a shifter, but it had advantages. It later became a stepping stone to something better, before she was slowly accepted by society.

Until she finally got to a temple belonging to a goddess, she was called by Goddess Aionara. Alexandra was given a chance to serve better than serve humanity itself. With no doubt in her mind, she came with the goddess and was never seen since…

 **[Codename SERAH (Steam Ectoplasmic Robotic Autonomous Homosapien)]**

"I died. And I lived. That's no sign of luck. It's fate, right?"

"I never meant to spare you." *rips apart male victim, slicing him from inside before she materializes from steam-ectoplasm to physical form*

"Master Gerard gave me this body. I don't normally use it to kill, but I do what is necessary for justice to be served even if it's hard."

*Serah shows red eyes…* "We'll I'm not fully human."

Birthday / Age: Unknown

Height: 5 feet 8 inches

Hair: Light blue (Only visible when she is in her Steam-Spirit Physical Form, and usually styled as a ponytail. She can change hair color when in a different form.)

Eye color: Black

Skin: Pale

Body Shape: Somewhat thin (midway to Athletic shape)

Nationality: Hispanian (Spanish)

Affiliation: Former maid of Master Gerard Gallant, Steam-Spirit servant

Weapons: Variety, Arm-blades, Arm Chain-gun

Intrinsic Ability: **_Steam Shift (_** She can shift life into other possible living beings that are deceased. Normally an Ectoplasmic form, she's able to put her essence in a stable vessel she calls her own, while she manipulates other deceased beings to heed her call and be commanded, or fight beside her. Depending on her vessel which can make vast improvement, she has a limited number of 'followers' to possess and control. ** _)_**

Backstory: SERAH was once known as Sarah Lopez, a sister and eldest sibling of three. Neuroi once invaded her hometown in Hispania and unfortunately, her family was closest to the action. While Neuroi had released beams, they also killed her two siblings and her parents at the same time. She was hit lethally with a beam that severed her body into half. But miraculously, her brain activity was unique, as her ectoplasmic activity was strong. She was a psychic in the family and never knew something like this could happen, and formed herself as a steam-like form and left her body.

She cried all the way until she got to a mansion, looking empty at most but actually inhabited by only its owner, Master Gerard Gallant. It seems he is a clockwork robotics gentleman, and was studying paranormal activity besides the current state of witches and magic. Sarah eventually sought him out, and he gave her a solution to her steam-less form: Use other living beings as her vessel. Though she tried, she didn't want to stay in any of them. Test subjects that were once experimented on by Master Gerard were likely accumulating diseases or have lacking stability from their organs after the experiments done in the name of knowledge from what is not normal. She understood that and requested something: She would be given a body, and she would serve him as he would please.

"There's nothing left for me. I can't have revenge against the aliens either, since it is not my nature, is it?" Sarah tells this to Master Gerard and he agrees. But he also tells her an important thing: She can become molded as steel at best. She disagrees at first, but she will later see its importance.

After having built the clockwork body, also mixed with deceased organs and natural flesh, he allows her to 'possess' the body, and does so with no effort. The clockwork body was given life, and her new eyes opened… She was given life by Master Gerard, and expressed gratitude towards him.

Having left the mansion because of the trouble of the Neuroi, Sarah visited her parent's graves at the side of the hometown she once lived in, and bid them goodbye. She then traveled with Master Gerard as a maid, but also a protector.

But having survived the Neuroi War and outlived her master due to old age, Sarah made sure to follow his last will: Live for herself. So she sought friends to improve her vessel, converting it from a clockwork body to a cyborg body later on.

 **[VICTORIA FLETCHER YEAGER, II]**

"Where's the food? I thought 'more sweat, more food' is the deal."

"RAIN DOWN FROM THE SKY!" *shoots cannon rounds from her aerial autocannon…*

Callsign: Sixteen-Alpha Three, Thunderstorm

Birthday / Age: November 18, 1996

Height: 5 feet 10 inches (177.8 cm)

Hair: Natural brown with orange highlights, shoulder lengthened, usually wrapped as a bun behind her head.

Eye color: Blue

Skin: Darker than fair complexion

Body Shape: Somewhat a little fat, but arms bulked to compensate

Nationality: Liberion

Affiliation: UNIA

Aircraft / Striker: F-111 Aardvark (striker modified for carrying heavy ordnance)

Familiar: Brown Rabbit

Weapons: Aerial Dual-Autocannon (Can be equipped with HEAT or Armor-piercing rounds), Desert Eagle, m249 SAW MG

Intrinsic Ability: Colossal Strength **_(_** This is super strength, but enhanced. Like Super Strength, the ability gives more physical power to any action applied, making physical attacks stronger. ** _)_**

 ** _Finally, here's Chapter 6! Leave a PM or review for thoughts on this chapter and the others. Check out Leche Flandre's story Strike Witches: Displaced as well. We have different stories, but we're on the same universe and planet, so things are happening in the same timeline. Enjoy! ;)_**

 ** _And be good critics if necessary. I won't bite so much anyway. Tally freakin 'ho._**

* * *

 _ **CHAPTER 6**_

" _ **In the midst of battle... (part 2)"**_

 _ **Adriana –**_ _Did things just go to hell? First it's about her boyfriend Zakaria and I killed back then, while he's actually the Exo-Suit Soldier we faced and also the leader of a Neuroi Foot Soldier squad. Then it's about Ember refusing to leave Shirley behind. I don't blame her. She loved Shirley but left her just because she realized no one's safe that she's a Neuroi. But refusing to come with us just because Shirley is vulnerable? If Shirley feels she didn't need protection, she'd just allow herself to be there. I'd rather feel better that way._

 _But I respect Ember. And she slapped me? I'm gonna forget it happened... and focus on the task at hand. But if it ever turned into a blood bath, I'll be satisfied of what happens._

 _I'll find out what that female Exo-Suit soldier wants, and finally stop them if possible..._

 _ **Outside the Jersey Southeast hospital... 0940 hours...**_

Corpses were everywhere. Sirens were heard from afar. Cars were either wrecked or left behind as they stayed in the middle of the road...

Adriana slid towards a burnt car before stopping behind it and aiming her Five-Seven pistol at other cars in the road. All she heard were sirens and people screaming while gunfire was heard from a distance. She put two fingers on her earpiece. "Clear."

" _ **Moving.**_ " Zakaria's voice was heard when she walked with Dual .45 Elite handguns at both her hands. "Good thing the shortwave earpiece does you well." She said while meeting Adriana behind the car.

"Thanks."

"Okay... we need to keep heading to the spot where that party went to. There were SUV's of them if I'm right. It's possible... she's got three squads spread throughout the city."

"No, a battalion full of Neuroi Foot Soldiers?"

"Crazy, right?"

"What is this for?"

"It might be a smokescreen for something, but I doubt it with the corpses around. Form up on me, Adri. We need to keep moving." Zakaria finally stood up and started sprinting, with Adriana following. They ran past corpses and bloodied civilians still alive on the side. They went past cars stopped in the middle of the road. "This is a mess."

"I hear ya there. They did a nasty job on them. Shit..."

And Zakaria signalled with her hand for Adriana to move to the sideway. They're seeing a black Neurified SUV, and it seems that there was a visible NF Soldier unit mounted on a beam-gun emplacement on top of the SUV. "Beam-Technical sighted." Zakaria slowed down and ducked. "Use the cars for cover. I'll go left. You go right."

And with Adriana at a distance, she replied on the radio: " _Copy that. We'll surprise that piece of shit._ "

 _ **Meanwhile... back at that hospital...**_

 _ **In Shirley's room...**_

Blaze furiously pushed Ember back. Ember was in her armoured Neuroi form while Blaze was in her ordinary form. "What the hell were you thinking?!" Blaze was clearly pissed of the way Ember acted. She saw Ember slap Adriana out of nowhere. "Why'd you do that?"

"Tch." Shirley snickered simply before moving to the toppled bed, then used her strength to put it back as it legs slammed on the floor, putting it back upright as it was before. "I'm not leaving Shirley again. Not again."

"You're so stupid, you know?" Blaze commented, while seeing Ember kneel beside an old sleeping Shirley Yeager and gently picked her up with her arms. "If Shirley intervened while she still had strength, she would have been disappointed in you."

"Don't blame me, sis." Ember said it before she slowly moved Ember. "I'm not going to leave her... Not after what I did to her. She had to face the hurt of all the things that happened when I wasn't there for her."

"That's beside the damn point, Ember! We're given a choice to find a better spot."

"You think Shirley can be moved easily just like that? It's not easy, and I should remind you she has a heart condition." Ember then gently placed the old Shirley back down on the bed. "I can't leave her. If you wanna do that, then go. The only one who had an extra earpiece was Zakaria, and she just left. Wanna go out there without communication with me? Be my guest."

Blaze winced at what Ember just said. ' _Did she just give me the cold shoulder?_ ' "Clearly, you want me to..."

"Well, you can handle yourself, right?"

"And if I can't?"

"Then don't force yourself. Obviously."

"Screw you. You just wanted me to leave." Blaze crossed her arms as she looked at Ember, looking at the sleeping Shirley. "Ugh... Fine. I'll be careful." She made no hesitation in morphing into her Neuroi armoured form with her head and face still out. "If anything happens to you while I'm gone, don't blame me. I'm going out there." And as Blaze's folded helmet formed around her head and face, red lining for her sights were made so she could see through the Neuroi armoured hide. "Ember." She, with her flanger-effect voice, called out to her sister. "She'll be okay, and you know it."

"Let's... hope it'll be the case." Ember said this with a frown in her face, not noticing Blaze already left her behind. ' _Shirley..._ ' "I'm not leaving you. Not again... Not again."

"Uhnn..." Shirley groaned, not aware she dozed off.

"Hey, Char." Ember smiled while greeting Shirley, who just woke up again...

 _ **New Jersey street... Near a beam-gun emplaced SUV in the middle of disabled cars...**_

The NF Soldier unit spun his gun emplacement to one spot near a broken down car that may seem suspicious, before turning his head and the emplacement somewhere else.

' _That was close..._ ' Zakaria thought, thinking her head-peeking might risk her being seen just then. "Adri. Make sure you don't peek your head out too much."

" _Copy. Almost got caught, huh?_ "

"..."

" _Hehe... I'm in position. You?_ "

"I am... but I'm really not sure which direction its gun will be pointed to."

" _It won't matter. We're fast, you know._ "

"Don't be so sure, as the mini-beams of the SUV may be faster than you. Ready?"

" _I'm born ready, NuZa. I need your word._ "

"Alright. Distract it in 3... 2... 1... NOW!" And as Zakaria peeked her head out and got her legs to position in jumping, she saw Adriana open fire with her Five-Seven before the NF Soldier pointed the beam-gun emplacement at her and loosed repeating beam rounds. As NuZa jumped out to the car and ran, while aware Adriana's magic shield was up to protect herself, Zakaria jumped to another car as ran. Then, she finally jumped at the SUV while mini-beams from the sides were evaded, right before she got her fist out to punch the NF Soldier unit. She hit it square at the head before throwing it off, taking over the emplacement and aimed at the down NFS unit before releasing its own beams against the foot soldier that was defeated after blowing into white shards. Soon, the hexagons of the SUV moved to the roof before it shone bright. She jumped and put her shield up to block the beams. But as she landed on her feet, she found Adriana running to the front of the SUV, and attempting to lift it.

Adriana wasted no time as she grabbed the bumper of the Neurified SUV and threw it towards a building. The impact was strong as the roof's red hexagons were damaged. She saw the small Neuroi core before aiming her pistol and fired once, hearing a core shatter and the Neurified SUV blowing up into white shards. "My kill."

Zakaria chuckled as she walked to Adriana. "I killed one too."

"But it's not as good as killing a Neurified Beam-Technical SUV. Is it?"

"You're just boasting since you used Super Strength on it. Anyway... let's put it off and..."

"I... BEAT... YOU. I did better, since my target's a bull, and yours is a..."

"I GET IT!" Zakaria said it just to silence Adriana. "Sheesh... just follow me, will you?"

"Hah... Fine." Adriana resorted to just following Zakaria. ' _Killjoy,_ ' she thought before she focused on the task at hand...

 _ **South highway exit to New Jersey...**_

As the lone sedan drove through the highway hastily going to New Jersey, other cars just in front of it are beginning to slow down.

Halley was behind the wheel, and Kyoko freaking out on the front passenger side with Halley's driving.

"Blomgren-san! You're a little too erratic on your driving!"

"So? What matters is, we don't use strikers in getting in there. You got your G-bands with you?"

"Yeah. You're a little too fast and we might be on our way to our deaths!"

"Like you couldn't trust my driving? Give me a... SHIT!" Halley suddenly slammed on the breaks as the car's tires screeched and suddenly decreased in speed. The car saw iron bars boarded on a truck. The length extended 5 feet from the rear and the car's windshields were the direct target. The two screamed as the iron bars were close just before the car completely halted. It was just, an inch from the corner of the iron bars the windshield was a distance to. "That... was too close."

Kyoko smirked at Halley. "You owe me a 100 dollars."

"100 bucks? And we used a rental, silly." Halley then opened her side door before seeing what's ahead of her: A traffic jam. Vehicles keep honking their horns, only to meet dismay as they're stuck. They can't get in New Jersey. "Great. So they were wise to tell us not to use strikers for this," she muttered aloud.

"What now?"

"What do you think?" Halley smirked before she partly unzipped her jacket-uniform

 _ **Halley –**_ _She's seen my transformations, and I know I'm gonna have to be fast. That time, I was barefooted. And I don't mind, since I'm morphing! I moaned at first before letting my familiar ears and tail out. My wolf-eyes appeared there, and my little morph began when my feet shifted its bone and muscle structure. My pinky toe shrunk, and the rest of my nails grew longer and sharp. Soon, I was getting fur around my body. And since my jacket was partially unzipped, I ripped my own bra off! Haha..._

 _Eventually, my neck and face got its own fur as well, just before my face partially changed shape, since I wanna be a two-legged werewolf for the meantime, letting my teeth turn into fangs, and only letting my mouth shift a little forward. Of course, my hand's were already a bit furred up with claws replacing my nails there. And there I was: a two-legged Swedish werewolf._

 _And... I love it. I always wondered why I'm proud in my transformations ever since I got control._

Kyoko observed Halley's form. Parts of the uniform got somehow ripped. "Well at least they almost got your size."

Halley focused on her eyes on a duffle bag inside the car and took it out before bringing it out and threw it to Kyoko for her to catch. "Our weapons are inside there. I got a sidearm with me, of course."

"Not minding weight when you jump around?" And Kyoko's question made Halley growl. "Alright, alright. I'll carry it there with my G-bands too."

"Good. I wasn't waiting for another answer. Meet ya there." And Halley made no doubts as she started to sprint.

Kyoko saw Halley's sprint was damn faster than an average person's thanks to her muscled legs now. ' _It might be natural, but she's right. Whatever's happening over there, isn't good. We'll have to act fast._ ' She eventually pressed buttons on her wrist-worn band before a little hum came from her G-bands, making her hover off-ground. She lowered herself as she slung the duffle bag behind her and started running. As she saw a car in front of her, she smirked as she sprinted before jumping up higher, thanks to the G-bands before she landed safe on the ground, and not stopping on her run. ' _I really envy Halley on having to travel well!_ '

 _ **Meanwhile...**_ Adriana and Zakaria were near the south highway entrance exit, but were actually very close to the building before they reach the corner, supposedly leading to the north next.

Adriana peeked from the corner before seeing just death and destruction in the way, as corpses lay dead, and some were too wounded to even move. Cars were overturned and several were charred. "Nasty. Alright... No threats for the meantime. I'm taking point." She brings her pistol out before she carefully exposes her body out before walking, then jogged forward. "This is pretty intense for three separate squads to do. Heavy weapons?"

"Indeed." Zakaria replied behind Adriana. "And with the mix of their unending beams, they'll be carving a big reminder of their landing here."

"Trail of destruction just leads me to believe they're gonna be disabling early warning systems."

"Think so?"

"Yeah, NuZa. Every city has early warning systems with weapon arming as well. If those are disabled, they can turn all those Anti-Air guns towards any air unit."

"Shit... even witches in the air will be shot down."

"That's why they need to come in on foot or by vehicle if they wanna take on our attackers. Unless we turn the air superiority to our favour, we can't assure winning against them."

"Roger that. You got quite the idea on this."

"It's because I've gone through cities, and you didn't do much."

"Tch. Same bitch degrades me again." Zakaria's words were met with her hearing not mistakingly hearing footsteps and grunted growls. "Cover 12 and 6!" And just as she ordered, there were disabled cars facing the left, and the right respectively, with one car a little forward. They both ran for the cars as Zakaria went for the nearest one and jumped over it, before turning around and kneeling for her to cover behind it. At the same time, Adriana went to the other car and covered their front.

Adriana whispered. "What are we waiting for?"

"Ssh!" Zakaria Shushed Adriana to keep listening. "I'm not mistaken. Someone's following us. Keep watching my six. I'm checking my side out."

"Copy." Adriana replied before Zakaria to the other side of her car with her pistols out. With all the charred and disabled cars, the figure could be anywhere. But then she heard growls from nearby. She pointed her pistols to a nearby car. As she got closer, the growls got softer. Then, she heard a female breathing from behind the car. ' _Wait a minute..._ ' As she got to calm herself, she finally saw a figure... with blue hair. "What the... Blomgren!" She ran towards Halley who was looking exhausted on the ground. "Halley, what happened? And...Why the hell are you barefooted?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." Halley replied before she browsed behind her pants and brought out flat shoes, before putting her feet forward and wore them. "NuZa, you ever believed in werewolves?"

"Not once."

"Then for once, can you not try to fear me when... it happens?" Halley's suggestion certainly got to Zakaria's head.

"Okay... First off your familiar's a wolf. Does it mean you can..."

"Transform? Yeah. I can." Halley then wore her shoes before she finally stood up. "Got an earpiece?"

"Yeah, and I can contact Adri. She's with me over there. Come on." And Zakaria led Halley back to their current position. "Adri, guess who I found!"

Adriana got off her position to meet with Zakaria, and even saw Halley with her. "So... The cat dragged in another bad scent to my nose."

"Be thankful," Halley replied. "I'm at least here with a short-wave earpiece."

"And your weapons?"

"Kyoko's behind me with a duffle bag with our weapons, so she'll be here soon."

"Got here without strikers? Smart. DC branch knows?"

"Yeah... but they can't send air support since there's possibility the AA's are under their control. We gotta pull their plug."

"Are you suggesting we take off the jamming signal?"

"Exactly."

"Fine. But we'll need Yamakawa first." And as Adriana said it, she heard a familiar sound of a hum. Turning her head, she saw Kyoko herself, now using G-bands as she sprinted fast. "There's Yamakawa now."

Kyoko finally arrived and was panting. "Hah... Goodness, you made me run with the G-bands, Blomgren-san!"

"Sorry. I had to meet up with whoever's still active, and we gotta start getting things together, Kyoko."

"I understand."

"Anyway," Halley said as she glanced at Adriana. "Where's Ember and Blaze?"

Adriana then pointed with her thumb behind her. "They're back at the previous street with the hospital there. I left them there to make sure to guard Shirley. She's okay for now, but she won't if she's left alone. They got a point too since they were dead serious."

"Ah. Alright then. Your earpieces should be tuned for short frequencies. Go Channel 7 on this one." Halley then proceeded to open the duffle bag that Kyoko is carrying and later takes out a Steyr AUG Bullpup Assault Rifle out of it. She took out a body holster as well, including the Desert Eagle side arm. "Yamakawa?"

"Roger, Sierra." Yamakawa wasted no time as she dropped the duffle bag and took out her M4A1 and body holster, which includes the FN Five-Seven sidearm she uses. "NuZa, Adri... There is a UMP and a Vector you could take from the duffle bag. We need close quarter girls to take on them in case things get fast for us on the jamming thing."

The two Malay witches nodded as they took out their weapons. Zakaria held a UMP and grabbed magazines for it while Adriana held the Kriss Vector SMG and kept magazines for the same weapon.

"This is more like it," Adriana commented.

"You've had smaller weapons before, right?" NuZa asked.

"Sig-Sauer P-228."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. It's true, NuZa. It's more than enough against a handful as long as I'm accurate in my shooting."

"I see."

" _ **I'm taking point on this one,**_ " Halley said. "I know my way around Jersey, and it'll be no time we could find a high point to where the jamming signal is coming from. Besides... It's what we'll do first besides taking on multiple squads of Neuroi exos."

 _ **Back at that hospital room...**_

Shirley knew that instead of seeing Ember going out there and fight, she's staying there, for her sake.

"Embs..." The old Shirley spoke up instead of staying silent. "I cannot be the cause that you won't move on. You... You always wanted to be with me, but I am already done."

"Char... I can't just leave you. You'll be..."

"...vulnerable? You're telling me that like I'm helpless, Ember. Stop pretending. Where's the real Ember I know?"

"The real ME? What kind of personality exactly are you looking for, Shirley?"

"...the one who isn't scared to see what was lost."

"Well are you saying that I'm losing touch and..."

"Listen to me, Ember. You're losing it and losing it because of the death of your mother. Don't put all the blame that you had to leave me. You wanted to touch me. You couldn't. I always remembered the flowers I thought were from my cousins. But they were from you. THEY WERE from you." Shirley glared with her old eyes at Ember. "Don't tell me you never felt that and didn't think of your future. The only reason why you're not leaving now, is because before you got here, you never had the strength to see me, and seeming you have the same pathetic way of preventing yourself of leaving because OF MY LOSS, that you think you'd lose me forever, like it's only one opportunity. Ember... Please... I... will... be... fine. If my time comes..."

"NO!" Ember was already tearing up on her eyes and kneeled down beside Shirley's bed. "Please... don't say that!"

"I'm saying this because you need to be open. I want you to be free. I've done my time without you and done my time with you too."

"It's my fault, okay?"

"It's not."

" _ **Ember?**_ " Blaze got back, it seems. And she was still at the doorway as she saw Ember cry. "What's wrong?"

Ember knew her sister was nearby and needed to ask her something. "Blaze... You think Shirley's gonna be okay?"

"What kind of question is that?"

"It's the kind of question that lets me ask if you know her. After all... We really didn't leave." Ember then glared at her sister. "Wanna tell me why you're here?"

Blaze smirked at her sister before she started to change her appearance. Her hair had formed into two long ponytails. A mask was made on her mouth. Red glowing eyes of purely described power-lust was seen from her face even from afar. Her body slowly finished its changes until she was seen as a female Exo-Soldier Neuroi unit. "Aww... You already know I'm not your sister."

Ember witnessed her sister's changes to a female Exo-Soldier unit. "Who the hell are you?"

The Neuroi girl responded with her summoning batons at her hands before quick-sprinting and attacking her opponent. ' _Yes... Yes... I want her!_ '

Ember then engaged her energy sword and deflected the Neuroi girl's first attack before stepping back. "That's how you wanna play it now?!" And she charged at her opponent without hesitation before she slashed once horizontally, then vertically before the Neuroi girl had blocked it with her batons, then saw that Ember's energy sword lit up. The unit bent back and let her batons release the energy sword before the red beam from the sword was fired, preventing her to be hit. They went back on it and Ember kept attacking the unit while bringing the fight outside, slowly scratching the walls as their speed was equalled with their attack and defense unique. "You're going down, scum!"

"That's what the Milady would want for you as well. That's what she wants for everyone in this wretched city who are threats to her. If they're not threats..." The Neuroi 'ponytail' kicked Ember's gut to push her away. "...then they're annoyances to her." She sprinted and for some reason turned into energy who once stayed on the ground, then ran on the walls at a blinding speed, just before she got on the ground and swung her batons and saw Ember block them as she turned back to her physical appearance. "You are impressive. She will be pleased. You should join us while you still can."

"Fuck you."

"You're Neuroi. Even if you're a hybrid, you should be with us. No. You just turned up to be the biggest disgrace along with your sister ever since you ran from everyone!"

"THAT IS NOT TRUE!" Ember growled at the Exo-soldier Neuroi girl before she charged at her, bringing down a combination of attacks against her opponent. The Exo-Soldier Neuroi girl was laughing before she saw Ember's energy sword finally hit her, while she turned to her aura-form. She suddenly got behind ember and materialized in her physical form, while locking Ember's arms with hers under Ember's.

"The Milady would be impressed of your form. So why don't we start over? You're given a chance."

"I don't want it." Ember then closed her eyes. "If it's a chance from you, the scum who killed for your boss's sake, then that's just senseless. So do me a favour." She felt her skin was about to pierced... from within. She felt herself having thorns inside just before she opened her eyes, seeing with a pure blue glow and letting her 'thorns' out. Spikes came out all over her body, even hurting the Neuroi girl holding her in the process.

"AHH!" The Neuroi girl stepped back and looked at her opponent now turning to face her as the spikes slowly shorten just until they were an inch high each. "Well... This is indeed impressive." She looked at her opponent, now with the blue glowing eyes and her grasp on her energy sword tighter than usual. "You should have do-over."

Ember felt she had humor in her and... "Ehehehe..."

The hybrid's chuckle made the Neuroi girl uneasy. "What are you laughing about?"

"It's funny when you recommended that I should have a do-over." Ember's energy sword turned orange. "I think it's what I recommend to you first, if you live, of course. Know my name... Solaris."

"It's nice to meet you... Solaris." The Neuroi girl respectfully does a curtsy in front of Ember. She then smirks at Ember. "Shall we take this outside then? I can tell it's making you less comfortable now since your friend is still in here."

Ember glared at the foe in front of her, but had to be considerate. Shirley didn't have to get involved with the two of them fighting inside a hospital or she'll get hurt. "I didn't know you have a heart."

"I know how it feels to have one. It doesn't matter right now. You need a break." She then turned into aura before she quickly hovered across the hall, and onto the staircase. Ember can already tell from there that her opponent is heading out. So she followed…

 _ **Somewhere coming from the far west of the jamming signal source…**_

The black curly haired mid-twenties girl ran with an SMG on her before eventually entered a building. Coming up to a number of floors, she was able to get to a window to see what it looks like outside. And by the looks of it, civilians were running afraid while order is still trying to be restored. "Goddamn it… They really ruined the city, huh?"

" _That's how it is, Alex._ " Another girl of almost the same age appears from her steam form before kneeling down beside Alex. "Neuroi have no sense in sparing any time for our side. It's proven in the Second Neuroi War. And since they hit us hard…"

"This isn't how it's supposed to be, but I'm getting a feeling they're here for more than just an invasion. I'm sure their fighting force is wide enough and they should be fast enough to take over the whole city, at least. There's one city, then there's another. If we let them take this one, it's all over."

"Not if we stop them. Remember that there's a jamming signal so that all communications would cease? The reason for that is to make sure no one contacts any outside parties. But the army, as I'm sure, are mobilizing to this city as we speak. They won't make it in time. By that time, the Neuroi would have fortified themselves."

"Are these Neuroi originally footed?"

"No. They used to be less complicated. They fly. They also have sizes that are resembled to tanks. But as we evolve, so do they. Witches get stronger with magic and arsenal. And Neuroi adapt to the changes in time. I thought it was all over, but they were still existing and a threat. The gulf war happened because of them."

"And the matter of Gojoseon as well. Look… It's too big for just two of us." And Alex seemed to spot some movement from just a distance and at the next building to theirs. "Shit… We got company."

Serah smirks at the movement of two Exo-Soldier grunts now heading for their building. "There's no need to fire so much. I'll handle one of them, so you can take care of the other. How's that?" And seeing Alex smile, they both move out of their positions.

 _ **Two-unit squad of Exo-Soldier grunts, now entering suspicious building armed with beam rifles…**_

" _Search the rooms,_ " a grunt said in a detailed piercing pattern, now holding his beam rifle forward to the hallway. " _Two contacts are here. Be vigilant._ "

The other grunt then moves in to the rooms. The first then advances through the hallway, passing other rooms that are less likely to be hiding places of the two mystery contacts. The same unit hears a piercing scream coming from the teammate and is alert. Sprinting while leaving a red trail, the lead unit heads to the location of the other teammate. And unexpectedly, the primary unit finds the secondary unit walking intact. " _Secondary, your status?_ "

But the secondary unit seemed to have blue lines instead of red. " _Your secondary has been eliminated._ " Serah's voice was heard before she aimed her beam-rifle at the primary unit and fires repeating beams, shredding the target and hitting its core before exploding from its chest first. It became shards once it banged on the floor.

Then Serah's body gets shot from behind continuous before the core was hit. The secondary's body was defeated, but Serah's steam-ectoplasm remained hovering. Alex's SMG was aimed at where the secondary unit once was and winced at the sight of the steam. "Wait… Serah?"

Serah eventually materializes into her physical form, now glaring at Alex before zipping and lowering her friend's weapon. "Why the heck did you shoot me?!"

"What exactly happened?" Alex asked this, and Serah realized it.

"Oh… You don't know, do you? Sorry… My ectoplasm can possess bodies. As long as I'm in my ectoplasm form, I'm vulnerable, as well as in my physical form. But in a possessed body, I can pretty much consider it a second life."

"Huh? I barely see that you can't handle yourself." And Alex sees Serah smiling. "Uh…"

"I'll take that as a compliment. But I can do something else for you. I'll be your recon unit. As long as I fly high in my ectoplasm form, I won't be recognized fully as a target."

"Put that at the right time. We gotta move, and I might need you on the ground."

"Alright… Where to?" Serah asked and Alex jogged up the hallway before seeing the exit.

"We're gonna check out the jamming source. The military might not have an idea about what's waiting for them, so we might as well try." Alex's decision got Serah to be motivated and followed behind her friend…

 _ **UNIA DC Branch HQ…**_

"Any word from any of our team members there?" Patricia Halsey asked the furiously typing staff member now looking at the monitor directed from the situation screen in the control room. "Randall, can you hear me?"

"Oh, sorry!" Randall slows down and breathes before he answers. "So far, we've only been getting a strong sense of static. It's been a while but there's a confirmed jamming signal inside the city."

"I was right in sending Blomgren and Yamakawa then. I'm sure they've already met up with the off-duty four-member team inside. Damn it… Of all places, why there?"

" _ **What's wrong?!**_ " Victoria came running in worry. "I heard there was an attack right in New Jersey!"

Patricia sighs in the presence of Victoria, but answers nonetheless. "It seems it started with a Neuroi foot soldier squad, until there was no confirmation as to how many they are in the city. The whole time, they slipped under our noses with SUV's blended for secret service. We don't know how they got them, but we already know there are many of them to begin with."

"So what do we do?"

"The president has already been notified of the attack and is sending the military there. Without the enemy's air support, they can be defeated easily. It'll be swift."

"But… I can get there! Damn it, maybe you're forgetting Grandma Shirley's in the same city!"

"Ms. Yeager, I thought we talked about it. You're flying when you're cleared to fly. There's still the matter of balancing yourself together with your autocannons. And as for the safety of your grandmother, she's in good hands as long as she's out of sight from the enemy. The six who are in there will make sure of that."

"I've got to see things for myself! I can do it!"

"I'm not risking it!" Patricia raised her tone and others in the room looked at her and Victoria. "That's an order, Yeager. You're not going out there while you're not ready."

 _ **Victoria –**_ _That's what she thinks. I'm not about to just let my friends have no air support and be left defenseless. They can take care of themselves, but they absolutely need someone in the sky. So I started walking out of the room, making sure my pace is the same. She just doesn't know I can do it. Maybe I'm clumsy. But hell…_

… _I am not incapable._

 _ **Back in New Jersey…**_

Halley, Kyoko, Zakaria and Adriana were close to each other as they were making sure to be less conspicuous. Knowing they're already in a warzone, they had to make sure their eyes were forward and their senses focused on all directions. Everyone made sure of it, since they're not using their striker units at all.

Eventually, Halley stopped the company and stayed low when they were seeing more neurified SUV's coming in to the scene. They were only a few blocks away from the source of the jamming signal.

"So it's gonna have to be a fight." Halley observed this as there were just too many Neuroi foot soldiers to sneak past. "Guys, hitting the jamming origin is important for us. We'll be able to get support for this if we do it."

"Blomgren-san…" Kyoko called out, "We literally followed them to a spot where there are more of them."

"That's what we're facing, Kyoko. There might be squads, so they're making sure to get the most important parts of their objectives first. If they're gonna take the city, they're making sure to stall for time, and defend the things they need to protect first. If they're not, then this attack might have been for nothing. Either way, we blow up the jamming origin. Got it?"

"Okay."

"Question," Adriana called out. "Think we could get close enough first? We don't wanna waste our magic."

"Good call," Zakaria commented. "The only reason why we're making sure it's smooth is when things go our way. Charging head-on in an assault like that would tire us out before we even get there, even with shields."

Halley then looked around and saw an SUV at a corner. It was then she decided. "No. We won't charge head-on." She then smirked before moving to the SUV while the other three follow. "We'll drive head-on and see if they dare chase us through. Everyone else ready for this?" Asking this question, she didn't seem to see anyone answering negatively. "Nice."

"We don't have a lot of time, do we? Hehe…" Kyoko chuckled.

"We end this when we end it. They'll be expecting we fight through, but they're too busy defending their own lines that they fail to expect the unexpected. They might be smart… but we're smarter."

 _ **Blaze…**_

She was jumping on the sides of buildings while in her Neuroi armor. Eventually landing on the roof and looking from the edge of the building, Blaze was looking far and wide at what could be things she could expect. As she saw below, there were AA SUV's patrolling the streets while they kill some stragglers with only pistols held, thinking they could control the situation.

 _ **Blaze –**_ _Authority is breaking down and order is lost that fast. Obviously, the army would have to step in. I hope those two are okay._

Blaze then used her earpiece. "Embs… Are you there?" But all she heard was static on her earpiece. ' _Damn it, I'm too far from her. I need to make sure I'm close. Maybe I should check on her?_ ' But that thought stopped as she saw a beam right below her and stepped back to avoid it. ' _Damn it! They brought one?!_ ' She jumped back as the edge of the building collapsed and a scarab-like Neuroi creature with the size of a battle tank crawling up to the roof of the building. Blaze stands her ground and draws out her energy sword on one hand, before she surprisingly summons a flintlock pistol that seems to have same color pattern as her armor has. "So… You gotta appear out of the blue, huh?" After she smirks, the scarab Neuroi charges at her.

She then does the same and charges right at the scarab. The scarab then raised its claw before she slid down and under the scarab Neuroi before recovering and quickly aimed her pistol at it. Firing a shot, the beam-round sticks before it makes a small explosion. The scarab screams, but she later sees the damage quickly being repaired. ' _That fast? Alright…_ ' She thought of it before the scarab Neuroi turned around and faced her with a glare from the focused red spots towards her. "You're a real bugger to begin with, are you?" And her question was answered before the scarab seemed to spread its back wide, like they were wings. And what's unexpected is that the wings had beam emitters, now shining on her. "OH, SHIT!" She then jumped back and spun before encasing energy into her flintlock pistol, then turned around and fired again. Seeing the round miss the scarab after evading it, she fell towards the earth with the tank-sized scarab Neuroi going after her. Surprisingly, it jumped after she did, and was buzzing down fast on her.

Blaze then figured anticipating her foe was best while she fell, so she reloaded her pistol and she puts her energy sword forward. The scarab then strikes, but she blocks, she before she was flipping forward. She only realized until then she was seconds to falling and had to do something. She found the side of the building and used her legs before she kicked horizontally to suppress her gravity temporarily. But the scarab followed nonetheless.

 _Doesn't this thing ever stop? It likes to eat me or something!_

She eventually lands on a garage roof before she started running. The scarab Neuroi was in the sky now with wings out and fired beams at her. Blaze needed to fight the scarab in the air. She then sees a taller building and runs to it. She then jumps to its side before she kicked off the wall and finally was up in the air, just enough to see the scarab coming at her, while she struck her sword at it. Only sparks came between them, making her aware her opponent cannot be defeated easily.

 _This one's pretty good. I wanna see how much it can go against me without me releasing full blows at it._

 _ **Meanwhile…**_

"Solaris… Dear… I want you to know you're kinda amazing…" The girl Ember was fighting smiles, not minding she was on one end of a hanging iron building beam. And at the other end of the beam was Ember, focused and looking at her opponent always. "You're always too focused for your own good. Milady will really be interested in you. But she's rather busy. So I'll be your entertaining party in compensation. I'm sorry."

Ember snorted. "Hmph. Run your mouth all you like."

"What I'm saying is true. You haven't acknowledged how much power you're releasing. You kill me, and their wrath becomes ever stronger." The 'ponytail' girl says this while there are gashes of marks around her body. Not to mention, she's not regenerating. "I'm not going to be coming out of this alive, am I?"

"Is that a trick question?"

"Hehe… No." The Neuroi girl then charges at Ember now with her batons raised. Ember takes the opportunity to sprint forward and eventually does her obvious tactic… stabbing through the mysterious Neuroi girl's torso before her orange energy sword changes in color. In pixels, the orange energy sword was removing pieces of its own color, revealing a strong metallic blade. It was a dual sword, but it seemed to be too familiar to the Neuroi girl who was stabbed. "Ugh… Ah… This is… Impossible… X-Xelarion…?! Ggh… I thought it was destroyed…?"

Ember smirked before she neared her mouth to the Neuroi girl's ear and licked it with her tongue. "You thought… wrong." She said this just before she swung her blade upwards, breaking the enemy Neuroi girl's core and screaming to her death as she exploded into small white shards. "Good riddance." Ember softly said it before extending her free arm, summoning some sort of scarf, just before it morphs into a big sword for her size. Holding its hilt, she presses a little button before a space on it opens the identical size of her dual sword and finally puts it in, before the big blade closes the allowance.

" _ **I didn't know Xelarion is even existing.**_ " A woman's voice was heard from a nearby building roof leveled to the hanging building iron. Ember looks at the figure, seeing the purple hexagons on the woman-like figure's body surrounded by Neuroi armor and sleek to her figure. The yellow eyes have shown from behind the helmet and somehow, the woman smiles from behind it. "Solaris is a name I haven't heard of for a long time."

"Who are you?" Ember asks this with calmness while holding the hilt of her big sword tight.

"I'm not once the human who is behind this armor who partially knows of your identity, Solaris. But mark my words that you are a disgrace to us Neuroi. I've gone a long way to meet opponents, but not such as you, now holding the sword I thought I'd never see nor hear of. We all thought Xelarion is lost along with its holder. I guess that's gonna be a mark for those who made mistakes to its outcome." Smirking behind the helmet, she sees a shadow forming behind the unaware hybrid.

Ember noticed too late of the dark shadow forming behind her while the figure from the building suddenly disappeared into a shadowy form. She gasped and turned around with Xelarion on guard before the same figure came out of the shadow from the iron beam, attacking with a black sword with incredible speed. Ember kept blocking until the figure slashed up the iron beam and she jumped of it before it came apart to pieces and fell.

Both figures then landed on a building's edge, and Ember seemed impressed of the figure's speed. ' _Damn it. Did I just see it right? That was fast…_ '

The woman chuckled and made sure Ember heard it. "You've seen it, the shadow, I mean." The figure walks towards Ember. "Have you been disturbed by my appearance, or was it because of my tactic?"

Ember doesn't answer as she opens up her big sword and suddenly pulls out a dagger before spinning and throwing it on a spin towards the figure. The thrown dagger headed straight for the figure, but it seemed to just fly past the target. Ember opens the hand that threw the dagger just before the spinning dagger lights up a trail of red and turns around, while she hopes of hitting the manipulated dagger from behind the dagger.

The figure smiles and turns to block the spinning dagger with her black sword towards another direction just before she summons another black sword and blocks an attack. Ember's orange energy sword was on it with its holder struggling to push the figure hoping there is submission in her face. But… "You have tact. You just don't have patience," the figure says just before she pushes Ember away and attacks without doubt. "How does it feel to use Xelarion again?!"

Ember kept blocking and tried to attack the figure in front of her with her energy sword while looking at the spinning dagger now coming back to the figure while she blocks attacks from the same one, while she deflects the spinning dagger again. ' _Why the hell is she asking me about it?!_ ' Ember then stops the combination of the figure's attacks by putting her energy sword's position to stab the figure, while the foe brings her two swords into an X, raising Ember's blade up, while avoiding the tip by moving her head aside. For a split second Ember answered: "I always used Xelarion, bitch!" Ember's energy sword lit up orange just before a beam came from the sword, hoping to hit the figure, but it disappeared into a shadow form, letting the beam hit a phantom target towards the ground of the roof. Ember turns around and blocks the figure who might have appeared via a shadow teleport like last time again. ' _She's zipping from one place to another so fast…_ '

"I see. So it was never destroyed. I'm glad to hear it." The figure zipped back and was in her calm stance as she looked at Ember's figure. "Your stance certainly changed to a more experienced kind. Truly, you've been blessed."

"Who the hell are you?!" Ember then caught the spinning dagger she once threw and looked at the foe in front of her. "And how do you know me?!"

"I know enough to hear you're alive, Solaris. You don't know how much trouble you've caused upon both humans and us Neuroi. You always wanted to get away from the fight though. I'll admire your modesty. But seriously… it doesn't suit you." As the figure finished, she suddenly appeared from that place in front of her after a black shadowy poof from below. Ember was already getting weirded out especially when the woman beneath the purple armor chuckled with an alluring tone. "You should be delicious enough for me to be attracted. Honestly, Solaris. Did you think no one would like you for who you are? I do. This monstrous form where your spikes are exhibited and your blue glowing eyes upon the red silhouette that makes your image attracts me."

"Then why are you trying to kill me? It wouldn't matter since your scent already tells you're leading this attack. Why?"

"Oh… It's a personal matter."

"Then I'm warning you to fuck off." Ember then dissipates her dagger before her orange energy sword briefly lit up before it faded. "You don't need to make it hard. I've killed… but I've also shown mercy. You don't need to make it that bad."

"Are you joking? I just started… Guhahahaha…" The woman's laugh was accompanied with her getting to her attack stance with her two black swords. "I have to say… I'm very inspired by you sparing people or Neuroi alike, but not me." She zipped forward to attack Ember.

Ember narrowed her eyes in a split second. "So be it." Ember then zipped forward with an insane speed like the woman before she clashed metal with her foe. Sparks in the sky were made as their insane speeds weren't seen as they were clashing at each other with their blades…

 _ **Jamming origin building…**_

Just a street off the building, the SUV was started and Halley was relieved of it. "Finally. Guys… You know the plan. Rolling like a tank should be hard, but we can do this."

"It's not that we can't," Kyoko said. "It's that it's crazy, Blomgren-san. Don't you think we should try another way?"

"Sometimes the best way is the most unexpected one." Halley smirked at Kyoko beside her before looking at Zakaria and Adriana at the back of the SUV… "Don't you two think?"

"I have a bad feeling about this." Zakaria felt nervous.

"This'll be fun," Adriana comments.

"Good things you see it my way." Halley then looks forward. "Their ground perimeter is pretty narrow, so we have to do this right. I'm focusing my shield forward. Zakaria, since you're at the left, shield our left. Adriana… our right. Kyoko will watch all directions. But depending which emplacement we come through first, she'll cover either our left or right while we shoot them out. We gotta make sure we make way for anyone who wants to attack this place as well. I'm sure Ember and Blaze are gonna come around here, so we'll make way while we make a party ourselves. Understood?" Halley then sees nods from all three. "Then what the hell are we waiting for?" She steps on the gas and the SUV makes screeching marks from tires as it furiously accelerates. Halley then activates her familiar, as well as the others.

Kyoko then sees Halley's shield is now activated up front. The emplacements are up ahead, and they see the oncoming SUV. "Brace yourselves! They're firing!" And seeing the SUV, the foot-soldiers manning the beam-repeater emplacements fired on the SUV, while Halley's shield takes damage. "We're driving alongside the emplacements! You two will have to shoot out the soldiers handling them!"

Adriana then shouts while she covers the right side. "Zakaria! You're up!"

Zakaria then finds beams all around her while the SUV is finally close to the first emplacement. She aims her UMP SMG and moving with her reflexes, she aims her SMG at the soldier, before releasing a barrage of rounds towards its chest, hearing it later scream and shatter into shards. "Tango down! Adri, NOW!"

"HAAAAGGH!" Adriana then opens fire while lowering her shield before the next emplacement was passed. Before everybody else knew it, the soldier dies and explodes into white shards. "That one's for the history books!"

"Entrance is up ahead!" Halley shouts it out while other beams came from the alert Neuroi foot-soldiers now firing at the magic-shielded SUV. The entrance is right up ahead, and the next step of her plan is charging in with shields forward. The force should be strong enough so they'll be able to crash into it with ease. "Get your shields forward, AND GET DOWN! I'm punching it!" Halley then steps on the gas in full before the rest of the girls moved their shields forward and lowered their bodies. The SUV was getting hit from all sides, but not at the front as the shields were on top of the other, making sure there were layers of it.

But as Halley was almost at the entrance, she didn't notice big steps were running towards them and time slowed as she looked from the entrance in the darkness. The big bulky figure with punching hammers as hands had red Neuroi hexagons and lines. It roared before it crashed from the entrance, pulled its arm back, and Halley briefly cursed before the big mobile Neuroi tank punched the shielded SUV. The force pushed the SUV back, along with the witches inside it. Halley never saw it coming, and they were flying towards the wall of a nearby building. The SUV crashes at the wall and Halley was knocked back unconscious…

 _ **Halley –**_ _Why the hell didn't I see that coming? I know there are new Neuroi in the air… But what was that thing I just saw…? Whatever it was… it stopped us. And too soon. First time I'm saying it, but I underestimated them._

 _And I'm gonna die because of it, will I?_

 _ **UNIA DC Branch HQ…**_

Patricia still kept monitoring the situation in the control room together with her staff when she heard alerting beeps from one of the desks. The desk owner then looked at the commotion of the alert and she was shocked. "Madam… We got a situation!"

"What is it…?" Patricia then approached the staff girl on the desk and saw someone on a launch pad of sorts. And she recognized her. "What the…? Yeager…?! Somebody stop her, damn it!" And no one responded from the runway. ' _What the heck are they doing…?!_ ' "Someone take command. I'm heading there now…"

 _ **Internal Runway 3…**_

Patricia eventually arrives in a hurry in Runway 3 and sees Victoria now speeding down the runway, carrying the aerial autocannon which is pretty much heavy equipment for any witch. "No!" But it was too late as she shouted to call out Victoria. The witch was already in the air as the HQ doorways opened at the end of the runway. She immediately looked at the lead mechanic responsible for the Aardvark Striker Unit then approached him before she raised his collar up with one hand. "Why?!" she said. "Why did you let her go?! You know she isn't ready to be in the air yet!"

"She can do it, Madam." The mechanic said this in reply. "No one's been pushing her to go for her own style ever since she started. Look… I don't know about you, but I owe her…"

"…by letting her fly with state of the art equipment while she isn't properly trained yet?! What in the hell, McGuire?! She's flying into a battle for God's sake!" Patricia explained this just before the man eventually got his hand to hers and was let go by her. "McGuire, what in the hell is the meaning of this?"

"You haven't been supervising as much as I do ever since she's being trained and I was giving her quite the help."

"You don't know how to fly strikers…"

"…but I know the feel, Madam. I may just give advice, but my daughter's pretty much a witch fighting out there right now, giving me a bit of background I need. I owe them, as well as Vicky who didn't get me killed in Saudi Arabia. And right now, she's a witch. There's more of a reason at that."

"You are a fool, McGuire. Don't get sentimental at this critical time. Victoria only manifested. It's not an excuse for giving her something like this, or she'll get a big head." Patricia later sees McGuire hand over an earpiece. "What's this?"

"She's on the other line." He then sees Patricia take the earpiece and immediately puts it on.

"You have the nerve to call me like this, Patricia. Return to base immediately."

" _I'm afraid I can't do that. And trust me… It's not a big head I'm gonna get but experience. Ever since I was trained, I wasn't given a chance to try on live targets. And it won't be your fault, personally._ "

"Vicky…"

" _Please to listen to me. Grandma Shirley is my only world when she's in danger. After finding out she's able to live for another year, I realized I should do better than being myself. I got a chance to do that as a witch, and I'm not about to just let it go. You can count I can do my best out there. I won't let everybody down._ "

"Just how the hell would you be able to support them when the jamming is still online?"

" _Then I'm available when I'm clear to support them. That's exactly what I'll be doing… Ma'am, let me be of service. By the reputation and skill of both Captain Yamakawa and Flight Lieutenant Blomgren, I doubt they'll make delays on purpose. You know this too._ " Victoria then sighed as her explanation is the best she could give.

Patricia knew it might be a bad idea, knowing the possible outcome closest to none if this plan fails. Nonetheless, she made her assessment of the current situation. "Immediate support when the jamming is cleared can be pretty tough. Evacuations are underway, but most of New Jersey is probably empty thanks to the attacks. Though… You can narrow down the attacks thanks to your thermal reader you got with you. You've got full equipment, but you must trust the ground team if you want to make effective and efficient damage. Alright? No unnecessary collateral, or it's on you."

" _Roger that._ "

"You better make a good impression on me, Yeager. Or you're done. Contact Control and someone's gonna get you up to speed. Halsey out." Patricia then takes off the earpiece and gives it to McGuire. She then glares at him. "If something happens to my witch, your ass is done. Do you hear me?"

McGuire looks away briefly then returns the glance towards Patricia. "I understand."

"Look… I don't approve of this behavior. I understand you owe witches a lot after you've been saved, and Vicky when she wasn't one yet. Just be proper. This is still war and we can't make mistakes here. We can't afford having lose many witches like what happened in both the gulf war, and the second Neuroi war. The last thing we need is World War Three, and a lot of loose screws to deal with."

"Loose screws?"

"You and Yeager are classic examples. But if this succeeds, you two will need to be a team. What's your full name?"

"Victor McGuire. I'm the lead mechanic of the Aardvark."

"She's YOUR responsibility from now on. I'm counting on that." Patricia then leaves the runway and walks away from the area. ' _Damn it… You two certainly have to owe each other, huh? I guess I should be prepared for the worst. Though… Yeager's in the air right now._ ' She stopped walking and thought of something. ' _What if Victor and Victoria act as a team whenever she's assigned to solo missions? Hmm…_ ' While she thought of this, she kept walking the control room…

 _ **Just outside the jamming signal building… New Jersey…**_

 _ **Halley and company…**_

 _I was pretty much hearing bells in my ears at high frequency, and eventually my hearing is coming back while the bells faded. My eyes opened up and it was a blur at first, but I can tell some Neuroi foot soldiers began to approach the SUV. And yeah… it's upside-down._

 _I can't believe it. That bulky giant looked like a Neuroi, but what the hell…? He never came up in our database. What was it?_

 _ **Alexandra –**_ _Hearing that crash got me concerned, because it wasn't just an ordinary crash. A lot of beam-fire suddenly halted, and that got me to approach the scene while I crouched, making sure I wasn't seen by the foot soldiers. These Neuroi are kinda evolving as Serah told me. And now… They surrounded a flipped over SUV and they were slow at it._

 _I then saw movement from the SUV and I saw there were four girls inside. They're probably witches, but aren't they supposed to be in the air? Whatever the reason, I'll have to do something._

Alex was observing the situation and knew that there had to be intervention. The big bulky Neuroi unit was standing in ready while the foot soldiers were approaching wrecked SUV slowly. "Serah, what do you think?"

" _I don't know._ " Serah replied using the earpiece in Alex's ear. " _Whether we should help them or not, we're close to the jamming signal right now._ "

"They're doing the same thing we're doing."

" _Are you saying we should assist them?_ "

"What if we have to?"

" _It's your decision, Alex._ "

"Are you sure?"

" _Yes. I'm at your disposal like I told you. At this point, you'll choose to reveal yourself and help them, while they'll also lend assistance. I thought you'd do._ " And Serah's comment made Alexandra smile. " _I knew it._ "

"Thanks. Now… Here's the plan." Alexandra then explains the plan to Serah…

Adriana's hair was grabbed by the soldier and screamed while she was pulled out. "Aggh! You asshole!" Still holding the Vector SMG, she opened fire at the soldier and took out its core, easily defeating it. As she stood up, however, her combat was cut short when she was shot with a blue beam, stunning her and getting her on her knees before she was smacked at the face with a beam-rifle to disarm her. ' _Shit… Are they capturing us?!_ '

Halley and Kyoko didn't fight but got pulled out nonetheless while they were forced to stand by the foot soldiers. They got on their knees just before were raising their hands at their heads. Zakaria was brought to her knees as well while Adriana was next to her. All four girls were lined up just as they sensed there were beam-weapons pointed at them from behind.

This made Kyoko scared for a bit. ' _Wait a minute…_ '

Halley winced at the thought of something. ' _Why do I feel like something's missing?_ ' She then tried to reach her magic.

Later… Alexandra was looking at some sort of transmitter. It was blinking blue and was nearby the entrance of the jamming origin building. "What is that thing?"

"… _an anti-magic transmitter. It prevents magic from being used depending on the range the transmitter can reach. Based on the 8 feet height… It can probably disallow magic use for 300 meters. Originally Chinese or Xingiet made, this is originally used by anti-witch parties for certain facilities. It looks like the enemy got a hold of them._ "

"Oh shit… They're helpless."

Halley tested her magic, but she couldn't reach it. ' _What in the hell…?! My magic's not working…?!_ ' She felt fear creep into her system as she heard the beam-weapons charging. ' _Crap…!_ '

Alexandra had no choice. "You know what to do. How long do you think could you last?"

"… _as much as I can. Go ahead. Open fire._ " Serah's words got Alexandra to come out of cover.

And Alex did her thing before swinging her arm back throwing some sort of bubble. It stuck to one space with three foot soldiers inside it before she fired bullets. The bubble stopped the bullets, and the soldiers inside didn't move in the bubble, but she kept firing. As soon as the bubble released the soldiers, the bullets hit simultaneously in an explosion of bullets. ' _That did it._ ' And all soldiers got attracted at Alex, and fired at her. Beams keep coming and she waited for a while before she sprinted and used her time-dash to evade their beams and fire back while she got to the next cover, closer to the transmitter. "Anytime, Serah!"

" _You don't need to rush me. I'm already here._ " Serah was in her steam-ectoplasm form until she materialized and sprinted just behind the distracted Neuroi Bulk unit. She then extended some sort of blade from her arm before swinging upwards, and making a big cut at the Bulk unit's back. " _ **Possession!**_ " She spoke her rite at a split second before forming into steam, and entered the Bulk unit, eventually changing the Bulk unit's mind, and its color. Its lines and hexagons turned blue, and began to look at the transmitter before she ran towards it, then swung her arm back and punched it. The transmitter was easily knocked down.

Alex ran to the four witches now in cover and fired back at the foot soldiers. "You four okay?! Thought I'd drop in and say hi!"

Halley and Kyoko looked at each other before Halley decided the question needed right now. "Who the hell are you…?!"

"No time! Serah, how's the transmitter?"

" _Done, and done._ "

"Good. You four should be able to get your magic up and running. And we better start running. We'll have company coming at us right now!" Alexandra then time-dashes to a Neuroi foot soldier about to fire its beam-rifle when she grabbed it and manhandles it to a hold. She stayed behind and fired at the hostile foot soldiers around her with her prisoner's beam-rifle, defeating them in their place while exploding in shards. She kicked her prisoner away and disposed of it before running to cover again. Meanwhile, the four witches activated their familiars and sprung in the action.

Adriana shouted while throwing a car at a group of foot-soldier units and explodes on impact. "TAKE THAT!"

"Take it easy, Adri!" says Zakaria who covered Adriana in the open with her UMP. "Goddamn it, do you have to act crazy at this time?!"

"Are you kidding?! We got the advantage here!"

"We'll have to move fast!" says Halley. "If what she said is true, they'll be here any second. Someone's gonna have to guard the entrance and make sure nobody comes in! No helicopter is coming to pick us from the roof, so we might as well leg it through the building!"

"Agreed!" commented Kyoko. "Let's just hope there aren't many guards."

"I doubt it."

Serah punches a group of Neuroi foot-soldier units and approached Halley. " _Allow me to have the honor._ "

"You can't do it alone, um…"

" _You may call me Serah. The body I possess is more than enough to take damage like a sponge. But hurry. It won't be long until we're overtaken by the enemy._ "

"Fine with me." Halley then looks at Alexandra and spots her earpiece. Pointing her finger at her own earpiece, Halley says: "Channel 7. You and your friend hold out the entrance as long as you can. MOVE!" Halley then leads the team of witches into the building.

Meanwhile… Alexandra is staying at the entrance and the Neuroi Bulk unit possessed by Serah is right beside her.

"You sure we can handle this?" asked Alex. "There should a party coming at us right about… now. There! SUV's are coming in and fast. Shit…"

Serah spots the oncoming Neuroi SUV's with beam-minigun emplacements. " _That's nothing to worry about. We'll just to be ready for them. They're coming at one direction, so it should be no problem._ "

"Let's hope you're right."

A door was busted down before Halley shouted "MOVE!" The four move in fast with their guns up. A Neuroi foot soldier comes out before they shot it together with its core before it was defeated. While there is only one in the same room, the four had to be careful. They cleared some rooms they expected that was filled with Neuroi foot soldiers and eventually proceeded to climb further up the building…

 _ **Meanwhile…**_

The scarab-tank Neuroi couldn't stand as it was so weak, with its legs now weakened. But before it was able to stand, a flintlock musket's nose was pointed at the scarab's head before it fired out a lethal explosive beam, giving the scarab a big chunk of damage before its core was exposed. Another musket fired an explosive beam round before the scarab screamed to death and bursts into white shards in its defeat.

Blaze knew that fighting the scarabs from the ground is tough. This is the first time she encountered a scarab-like Neuroi at that size. ' _That was too close._ ' She then lets her muskets dissipate into pixels before looking around. "Crap… Ember…!" She then jumps to the side of a building before she started running up, leaving a red trail before jumping to the next building's roof and ran from there. She ran and jumped from building to building somehow in the direction of that same hospital Shirley is in. ' _I shouldn't have separated from Shirley like that but…!_ ' She stopped her thoughts when she landed on the roof a building as she witnessed in surprise two figures with insane speeds battling each other with swords while in mid-air. They were then jumping from edge to edge and to longer distances while they kept at it. She then followed to see what this was about. With her enhanced sight, she's able to identify Ember as one of the figures. ' _Is that… Ember…?!_ ' Blaze was clearly seeing the spikes from the back and the blue eyes from the girl behind the Neuroi armor just distant from her. "Oh my god... What… did Ember really turn into…?" ' _I've got to stop this. I don't want Ember to do anything she'd regret._ '

Ember landed on a crane before the woman under the purple Neuroi armor jumped there as well. Before she approached however, a purple beam round went between the two of them before the round hits the wall of a nearby building and explodes. The woman then looks at where it came from and sees a Neuroi-armored figure of a girl holding a musket. The red color the figure had later turned into purple. And it made the woman interested. "Oh." Later seeing the figure jump up to the crane and getting in between Ember and herself, the new purple-colored Neuroi armored girl glared at the woman with the black swords.

"Any more of this, and you'll be hurting quite a lot." says Blaze. "I heard you're leading this attack. You might as well back off now."

The woman chuckles this and calms her stance as she lowers her swords. "Interesting. You have purple of a color like I do."

"So?"

"You're Neurification has been made mixed with magic. It's the same as mine, but I wield a different kind… dark magic."

"What…? How?!"

"I don't want to spoil the two of you. It's best you both find out for yourselves. And it's nice to meet you… Everis. Hehehe…"

Blaze was calm even though the woman behind the Neuroi armored in front of her knows her Neuroi name. "How do you know?"

" _ **She knows because she's been watching us for a while, Everis.**_ " answers Ember. "I don't know what part of the Neuroi sects she's with that she knew about us, but she knows quite enough about us."

"Quite enough? Haha…" The woman chuckles in Ember's statement. "I wish I could be your friend so I'd know more."

"Why you…?!" Ember attempted to approach the woman but was stopped by Blaze.

"Cool it, Solaris. You don't need to do this alone." Blaze then glares at the woman behind the armor. "Mind if you tell us at least your name?"

"She's called Milady," answered Ember. "…at least from her follower."

The woman chuckles almost silently. "Close," she said. "The Neuroi had given me the right to bear the name Milady Saippo. Remember that name. You won't find it at any record that would track me. And one more thing about me is that I get help from plenty. I only used this opportunity to evaluate Solaris and she still maintained her optimum battle status. I'm just… done." Smirking beneath her helmet, a shadowy form of smoke came from behind her before she walked back to it and disappeared in it as it fades. " _I will see you again… Solaris._ "

Blaze knew that something was up with that 'Saippo' character. Something was revealed to her, "especially when she had shadowy smoke," she says. "Isn't that…?"

"…dark magic," Ember finishes. "How in the hell is dark magic associated with Neuroi?"

"It answers at least her color."

"You're purple for other reasons, Blaze." Ember used this time to power down and let the spikes on her back retract, just before her helmet disassembles and reveals her face. "Thanks for coming by."

Blaze eventually disassembles her helmet and her face is shown to Ember. "Ember… Did you just go Overdrive?"

"Hehe… I always wanted to try."

"Look…"

"Don't lecture me, Blaze." Ember then walked to the end of the crane before looking back at her sister. "I know you wanted to stop me, but I've been able to control it. My urges were rather making things sweet, but I know the consequences whenever I succumb to it."

"Ah."

"Don't worry about me." Ember smiles just before she looks around. "The city's rather in a mess right now. I should scout around. Check back on her for me."

"Shirley? No problem." Blaze's reply accompanied with a smile was a feeling of insurance to Ember. "Go on and kick ass. And be careful." She assembled her helmet until her head was covered before she jumped off the crane. She was seen from below falling before jumping off the corner of a building. Blaze jumped from one place to another. Eventually, Ember assembled her helmet and jumped off the crane, hoping to scout out trouble her other friends might have attracted…

 _ **Jamming origin building perimeter…**_

Serah shouted a battle cry as she charged straight to a group of SUV's with her Neuroi Bulk Unit body before she brought out a big fist at the engine of one, before it slid back by its force, colliding with another SUV behind it. Repeating-beam emplacements fired at the body of the bulk unit just before Alexandra sprang in action, and attacked whoever was busy as she threw time bubbles while firing at the targets in. She did this slowly since the Neuroi foot-soldiers are adapting to the situation.

Meanwhile, Serah was making sure to get some cover, having the initiative to preserve the bulk unit's effectiveness while it still regenerates its armor. ' _...or I'll lose the body too easily,_ ' she thought. "Alex, cover me while I'm in cover!" she requested.

Alexandra just took cover from a barrage of beams coming at her shielded cover just beside Serah's. "We can clear this side, but the other side's another problem!"

"How so?" Serah's question was accompanied with a stray number of beams from the other direction. This shocked her as the other direction had a swarm of medium-sized Neuroi units, looking like scarabs and are using their wings as they hovered and fired. "Damn it… Scarabs!"

" _Blomgren here,_ " Halley spoke on the earpiece Alexandra has. " _We're at the roof and we just cleared it too. Taking it down shouldn't be…_ "

"You spoke too soon," Alexandra replies. "Hovering scarabs are gonna tear you up from the other direction!"

 _ **Jamming origin building roof…**_

Adriana quickly aimed her Vector SMG at a down Neuroi foot soldier before firing a barrage, and defeating the unit. "Shit… There are more?!"

"What's worse?!" NuZa asked.

"They're coming up." Halley's answer came just before they heard a drone of insect wings in a chorus, just as they saw medium-type Scarab units now hovering to the level of the roof. There were 4 of them and they spread their wings just before they fired multiple beams. Halley and Kyoko made big shields that shielded the team of four. "Adri, NuZa, start bringing down the transmitter!"

" _ **Roger!**_ " Adriana and Zakaria responded to Halley's order and they ran up to the transmitter.

"Do it, NuZa!" exclaimed Adriana. Zakaria wasted no time activating her Detonation ability as she fired her UMP at the base of the transmitter, largely chipping off a lot of the transmitter's metal.

Zakaria stopped firing when she saw the base was damaged enough. "Adri, timber!"

"No need to tell me twice," Adri replies with a smirk. She held the base just before she used her Super Strength, held the metal tight just before she tipped over the big transmitter, bringing it to a leaning position, and later getting it to fall.

Kyoko and Halley both saw the falling transmitter and cursed to themselves before they rolled out of the way, losing their shields. In exchange, the transmitter falls over to the hovering Scarabs. All four tried to weave out of the way, but two were in the way and were hit by the falling transmitter, bringing them along as it fell down to the earth. The two Scarab units crashed down below and easily exploded in white shards.

"Transmitter destroyed!" Halley said this in declaration just before she took cover, and fired back with her Steyr AUG at the remaining Scarabs firing at them, followed by Kyoko, Adri and NuZa. Soon, radio chatter was heard all over in her earpiece. "Control, this is Sixteen-Sierra Actual. Jamming transmitter is down. Can you read me, Control?!" And she was relieved to hear the operator for callsign Control, otherwise known as the central command callsign for the UNIA DC Branch.

" _ **Acknowledged, Sixteen-Sierra Actual.**_ _Good work on taking down the transmitter._ " Patricia Halsey's voice came at the radio. " _These bastards attacked the city and there are no close assets in New Jersey at all._ "

"You sure about that…?!" Halley asked while finally taking down another Scarab in the air together with her teammates. "What the hell did they attack for then?!"

" _ **Probably because it's vulnerable, and can be infiltrated easily,**_ " replied a voice that's recognizable as Ember. " _It's obvious New Jersey has less defenses and its cities are less defended since they don't have their own military coverage for Anti-Air combat. That right, Halsey?_ "

" _It's accurate, Vermillion. Be advised, ground team: Fire missions will be available soon. Yeager just took off with the Aardvark and the bombing kit and is going to assist. We'll talk about her disobedience later, but she's confident enough for this._ " Patricia Halsey's tone was one of worry as she sighed afterwards. " _Hah… Whatever you have assigned for her, please use laser designation. Her HEAT rounds are guided for them, so make sure your targets are on the mark. Yeager's callsign is Thunderstorm. How copy?_ "

"Ground team copies all!" Halsey replied just as they took down the last Scarab in the air. "Clear! How's the team from below?"

Static sounds came from Alexandra just before she replied on the radio. " _The name's Alexandra! And we're getting a lot of bullshit from our company here!_ "

"Hang tight, Alexandra! Girls… MOVE! We gotta help them out while we still can!" Halley immediately takes point just as Kyoko, Adriana, and Zakaria quickly followed her. "Wait… I got the designator! Take the safe way down."

"And you?" Kyoko asked, just before Halley moaned, then lets her clothing be ripped by fur coming out of the Flight Lieutenant's body. ' _Of course… She'll want to morph._ ' Kyoko witnessed Halley ripping through her shoes as well, just before the transformation finished. Halley showed fur all over her body and was in the full cover of her familiar wolf.

Halley held tight on her Steyr AUG. "You guys go down while I jump over there. We'll probably be ripped open if we don't do something right now."

Kyoko knew she'll have to take point and nodded. "Roger that. Good luck, Blomgren-san. Girls, let's go!" And she sprinted as she took point for the other two.

And Halley wasted no time running to the edge of the building while growling loudly with her wolf familiar, before latching to the surface of an adjacent building, dropping down while controlling her descent with her strong arms. Eventually, she landed on ground level before she sprinted to action.

Serah screamed as her bulk unit body, was surrounded and shot upon by a wave of SUV's and Scarabs coming from the same direction. Eventually feeling she can't take the body out more, she abandons it by letting her Steam form leave it before it explodes to shards. She takes cover and materializes behind cover just beside Alexandra.

"How are you, Alex?" Serah asks in concern for her friend, now taking some damage from the beams.

"I'm here, with powers still not restored, while I'm fighting aliens with guns! How the hell do you think I should answer, huh?!" Alex returns fire just before her SMG runs out of ammo and throws it. "SHIT! I'M OUT!"

"Leave it to me. We need to move. Follow my lead!" Serah then moves while she shifts into Steam form, quickly hovering close to another car with Alexandra closely following behind. Serah then materializes physically, this time with her arms transformed having chain-guns on them. She then fires back at the hostile Neuroi foot-soldiers. "Alex… Take cover! If possible, find a weapon to defend yourself!"

 _ **15,000 feet above ground…**_

Victoria was carrying heavy equipment while she flew with her Aardvark bomber-modified etherjet striker units at her legs. Carrying Aerial Autocannons that can fire HEAT rounds, she's making sure to bear the weight and letting the speed be an advantage for her convenience. She was wearing a full face and head helmet attached to an air tank. The HUD (Heads-up Display) on her helmet shows her targeting reticule, as well as the impact point of her assigned weapon. She's given that much power against ground units.

"This is Thunderstorm. Damn it… Jersey's rather a bad place to be in right now. You sure civilians have been evacuated?"

" _Control responding. Most of the civilians have either been injured, killed, but some have evacuated. Don't leave any promises for them, though. There are a lot of ground units that needs taking care of. They'll have no mercy against any human being._ "

"I understand. Still… I can't just welcome civilian fire from my own hands."

" _We've ordered some military assets to make sure they take cover along with civilians, Thunderstorm. Just focus on the fire missions assigned to you._ "

"Understood."

" _ **Thunderstorm, this is Sixteen-Sierra Actual!**_ _Nice to hear from you, Yeager._ "

"Likewise, Flight Lieutenant."

" _I got a serious number of emplacement SUV's with a band of foot soldiers, along with Scarab units outmatching two combatants… both nonmilitary, but they're assets. I'm marking the spot now! We need a fire mission on the mark!_ " And as Halley says this, Victoria's HUD has detected a mark. " _Danger close, but fire when ready!_ "

"Understood, Sierra! It's coming down." Victoria smirks in reply before she targets her Auto-cannon at the mark before she fires it. A 0.7 interval rate of fire was made from her auto-cannon since she chose HEAT rounds to be used for the assault.

Serah was firing her chain-guns at the enemy she wouldn't hope of defeating fast when a series of explosions from shells coming from the sky came down on the enemy, making her see that and white shards spreading out. Neuroi screams were heard and they were signs of pain and death. Scarabs were also hit from the attack and came down with the units in the barrage of shells descending like thunderbolts from the sky. Serah knew there was a witch firing from such height. ' _I see… A fire mission support._ ' She smiled and looked behind her, seeing from afar that Halley was using her mounted laser designator from the Steyr AUG she held.

Alex couldn't believe the carnage caused by the sky-high air support and simply looked at the damage just to take it in. "Damn…" But her thoughts shifted as she heard a hard landing of a fur-covered girl with the look of a wolf just beside her. In her shock, she even got in her defensive stance. ' _Who in the hell is that? Is she holding a rifle?!_ '

Halley noticed Alexandra's shock. "Easy there. I'm harmless."

"Oh."

"I just have the ability to turn into my familiar, though you won't see me hunt like a wolf for a long shot, so don't worry." Halley smiles, though she still shows her eyes to Alex just before glancing at the destruction. "My team's on their way down. Good job on keeping the baddies company." She licked her own mouth and showed it to the two of them. "Oh yeah… Serah… That's your true form?"

Serah nods in response. "Now's not the time for the discussion. Although I should tell that I'm rather flexible since I'm practically a ghost."

"A ghost?"

"Like I said, now's not the time." Serah eventually shifts her arm chain-guns and morphs part by part of her arm to return to its original form.

"Whoa…" Halley saw the transformation of Serah's arm and it's her first time.

" _ **Blomgren-san!**_ " Kyoko and the two Malay witches finally rejoined Halley. "Good thing you got here on time."

"Of course I did," Halley replies with her hands on her hips. "If I haven't, we wouldn't have experienced worse than what happened right now. Oh yeah…" Halley then uses her earpiece. "Thunderstorm, thanks for the assist. We'll probably need further assistance. We'll be on foot until we find a good vehicle outta here."

" _ **It's an honor helping out, Sixteen-Sierra.**_ _I thought I'd wanna do something right for a change._ "

"Still… We need to talk about this, Victoria. It's not just this you're doing."

"Right."

"Good. Okay, team. The National Guard is gonna come by right about now. Our job's to clean up whatever's left of the Neuroi in the same city. Those fuckers are gonna pay for ruining our off-time." Halley just finished the statement when at the corner of her eye she saw a girl in Neuroi body armor arriving. Ember then landed just in front of the company. "Vermilion? Where's your sister?"

Ember then disassembles her helmet and her face is shown to them. "Blaze is retrieving Shirley right now. I don't think it's safe around here anymore, so we're gonna move her out from the hospital."

"Can't take any chances, huh? I guess it's fine." Halley sighed. "Still… You know you just showed to almost half of the population that Neuroi hybrids have been involved in the fighting."

"What? Oh, come on. They never even saw my face, Halley." Ember smirks just before she saw Alex and Serah who are still new to her. "So who are these two?"

"These two are civvies helping out, but I still wanna know for myself when this is all over. Think you could stay around after getting Shirley out? There are still pockets of foot soldiers still in the city and we gotta flush them out."

"Think the national guard is gonna be friendly with me? They don't even know a Neuroi hybrid is fighting alongside the UNIA. And since there are two of us, that could still mean trouble."

"Good point…" Halley frowned at this, just as her fur is starting to remove itself from her body. Eventually, her human form had returned to their eyes. "Oh well. Just get Shirley out of here if you wish. Make sure you don't get spotted by the military. We'll probably be tasked do stuff so we gotta stay longer." Then she looked at Alexandra and Serah. "You two aren't needed anymore, so we'll take care of things from here."

Serah saw Alex about to answer, but stopped her for it while she looked at her. "It's fine. Further confrontation might be unwise especially for my friend."

"Good thing. By the way… She calls you Alex."

Alexandra nods. "Alexandra Lunamarie." She winced at her own name. ' _Wait… Did I remember my surname ever since I woke up? Hm…_ ' "I'm glad I could help."

"I better get going," Ember says. "Blaze is gonna meet me at a safe place, and she probably has Shirley on her arms by now. Good luck… All of you." Ember then assembles her helmet around her head and her face just before she jumped up at a very high altitude before she started jumping from spot to spot between buildings.

Halley looked at Alex and Serah. "Maybe it's best you two come along anyway. Just when we find a safe place for you or when we approach the national guard, they'll get you out. Though… We're gonna need to ask you questions when this is over. Everybody ready?" And receiving nods from her other teammates, she looks forward. "Advance!" Halley then takes point, taking her squad mates along with the addition of Alexandra and Serah.

Almost half an hour passed and the whole city was a battleground, but not for long as the National Guard was able to gain control of the city quickly. It seemed that most of the Neuroi foot-soldier forces were focused on defending the jamming tower that was up in the city that they didn't stretch far enough. Some were able to stretch as far, but the defended areas are weak and are quickly overtaken. In total, it's only an estimate of an hour and a half that the city was taken with the involvement of the National Guard.

Things were finally going their way…

 _ **1236 hours…**_

Things were settling down for the team. Halley got together with Blaze and Ember, knowing Shirley is already safe in another hospital. Meanwhile… Victoria was on the ground and met Kyoko together with Alexandra and Serah. Zakaria and Adriana left the main team to do things for their own reasons. Things would have to be done for the day…

 _ **Safehouse balcony…**_

Ember stretched her arms, knowing things were finally over and she can hang back a bit. That was before she heard familiar footsteps. "I hope you're not gonna give me a lot of words, sis." She then looked back at Blaze. "What happened back there…"

Blaze raised her hand and stopped Ember from talking. "You don't need to explain. I know you just wanted to keep her safe. It's stupid in a sense, but still. Priorities first, Ember."

"Yeah. I didn't forget."

"But hey… We at least did it."

"There are still dead in their wake. We didn't do enough."

"I don't think just the two of us would have been enough, Ember. It's not your fault and neither is it mine. Catching us off-guard was enough for us to get delayed."

"Well… Okay." Ember smiled at Blaze. "The good news is that Char is gonna be fine. Is she awake now?"

"I'm about to leave for her now. Shall we?" Blaze smiles back and turns to walk, hoping for Ember to follow.

 _ **Ember holds her hand out, as time skips to the time she got in the new hospital room and held Shirley's hand.**_

The old former witch in bed seemed very happy to see her. "Char…" Ember calls and lets a tear out before she hugged her friend.

"Oh… Ember…" Shirley was happy enough to find Ember at her side again. "I'm glad to see you again."

"You too, Char… Will you be okay if we're apart though?"

"What will you do?"

"I wanna live. For the first time in my life… I wanna live, Char." Ember hugs Shirley tighter and she sobbed at it. ' _I'm gonna live and fight if I have to, Char. It took me too long to realize that…_ '

Blaze was wiping her tears seeing this happen. ' _Oh Ember…_ '

 _ **Meanwhile…**_

The car moved through the moderate traffic as Adriana was on the wheel of the sedan. Zakaria was right beside her riding shotgun, both looking forward until Zakaria put a conversation in place for them.

"Adri… What are we gonna do?"

"I don't know. It's something to take my mind off things today."

"And the detail?"

"I'm gonna be visiting a few friends. This 'Katrina' girl… Could she be…?"

"There's no way. She's not your sister and you were the only child of Carmen."

"But what if Katrina is daughter of… I don't know if it's possible, but grandma Amirah shouldn't have another kid in her name. And if there was an extra one, it wasn't mentioned to me. I'm gonna find out."

"Of course you will. When have you stopped doing so?"

"Never." Adriana smirks as she kept her grip on the steering wheel tight.

"You're not gonna search in the usual channel, are you?" Zakaria noticed it took quite a while. "Well of course not. I guess I gotta watch your back on this one…"

 _ **A young man wearing a hood was watching on a portable device with a big screen…**_

He grits his teeth, seeing the images of the Neuroi foot-soldier regiments broken so easily. "Damn them," he said.

" _ **I hope this move got their attention.**_ " Saippo's voice vibrated while her Neuroi-armored self just walked beside the figure in the hood. "It seems I've only drawn pawns to this little game your employer had played out. Ray-Surfer underestimated Solaris in battle and died for it. Don't you think this had been a result of her inadequate training?"

"Don't underestimate her kind of strategy. This kind certainly requires tact as she intends to draw them out. Ray-Surfer was intended to be the first match made for the hybrids. We weren't sure if she would win. And if she wouldn't, the other plans would come in handy."

"You're saying that this employer of yours is a better thinker. She's alien. Always was."

"Yet she became the thinker because she's practically part of the human society right now, giving her access to their information whenever she's available. She's not a program, but an entity."

"Tell me, Vrigara. With the tasks she assigned on you, and the kinds of tasks you assign us, how long would it take for the current human forces to reach us before we are able to act?"

"Not close enough. By that time, we would have gotten so close to what we're going to achieve that I would have gotten back to my timeline as well, seeing things would turn out worse for this period. You all could have achieved better. And I could have been a hero to all of you."

"Tch. Like that would happen. You wouldn't even be remembered being here."

Elroy smirked at her statement. "Perhaps. But I'll make history back at the original timeline I'm in. You'll know my name, not by my presence by my aura in which I have made. Trust me. I am not going to be stopped of my plans back there. But first things first… I need to help my 'employer' as you define complete her plans first. And since you're helping me, I need your cooperation."

"Hehe…" Saippo then bowed to him. "The aim still brings us closer to our goals as we attempt to outsmart our enemies. Of course I will be assisting greatly."

"Good. Let's begin… Phase One." Elroy then walks first, with Milady Saippo following Elroy closely…

Their plans will then begin, hoping to crush the human forces with only the pressure of breaking a twig…


	10. Briefing 1

**_Briefing 1_**

 _ **Halley –**_ _New Jersey was just the beginning of things. I never knew the Neuroi were able to cut deep in us, but we came out okay. Still… there's the reminder of the casualties in the attack. Though after it happened, a lot of news happened._

 _Events have been happening like it was a slideshow presentation, or a set of papers stacked together with drawings on them. Each time a page is turned, a frame in an animation is played. It's on that comparison that news comes out quickly. The navy and the army are currently busy at this time… since they just experienced the disappearance of two JAW's. Did I say that right? I meant… halves of each. The cause of the disappearance is unknown, but it was said to have something to do with temporal rifts. I mean… time travel? No one's gonna believe that. But it's in the military network. It's how it's really described. I can't just say no to it, but I can't believe it either._

Halley sipped through a china-made teacup without the noise before she puts it on the saucer and sighs. "If there's nothing to believe, then what the hell am I telling you all this for? The information is, as is."

"That's impossible." Ember said this while holding her teacup. "Though, the Neuroi are starting to speed up their plans with this thing."

Blaze sighed and continued. "Ember and I had a feeling the Neuroi were up to no good. But time travel is the last thing on our minds they would mess with. The two of us kinda had an idea when we saw them build some sort of round stone archway back in 1970. It was destroyed when we got there, however. The ones guarding it are the ones who were hunting for us. It seemed that group smelled the wrong kind of Neuroi, and we killed them all ourselves. That was in Neo-Greece by the way."

"Tch. Like you were proud of it."

"I did it for us, Ember. I had no other alternative than bask in their blood for your safety. I didn't want you hurt." Blaze briefly flashed her eye red before it returned to its natural color.

" _ **That's enough.**_ " Halley said this to get the attention of the two. "Look… I'll be notifying HQ about this. This is the first time I got hold of the information. If they know, then I'm gonna suggest sending army grunts to investigate. There's no way the destroyed archway would be destroyed completely. That could be an example that could help them out."

" _You're letting them see for themselves?_ " asked Adriana. "Whatever happened to keeping some things secret?"

"I doubt they'll keep secrets while they're trying to find a way to bring two halves of their JAW's back using time travel, safe and sound."

"Why can't we investigate or send UNIA teams instead?"

"I won't recommend it. Keeping secrets for too long, which we're good at, would just scar us in the long run. Besides… a subject like this is already out. We've opened up on the subject of time travel, and it's a buzz in the intelligence community thanks to it. It'll spread like wildfire. Let them handle the situation and we'll see where it goes. Blaze, I need you to tell me the coordinates in Neo-Greece so they can have a nice starting point for the search. Is it buried in sand?"

"Yeah. It's actually caved in a lot of rock. It'll take time, but I'm sure the search teams can find something." Blaze was confident in her answer. "I don't know why you're putting the trust in the military though."

"It's because losing our aerial and magic strength could be chaotic. That's why it's more than enough for them to know about whatever could be done for our missing witches. I might not have seen their skills out there, but they cannot be trifled with, especially with the well known 815th. Now they got a big tug to worry about. But that's not what we're here to discuss of. We're having our first operation, and it's happening in Australis. We believe they're from Baltland… from the Swedish regions, which I'm disgraced of. They're gonna pay for putting a bad name to the Swedish since I'm one.

"Anyway, a firm there is confirmed to be replicating dark magic. As we all know, it has turned into a very controversial and restricted kind of resource. It was never even supposed to be used as one, but they're not lucky since one of their own began to look the other way and gave us a tip. We're gonna find their distributors and shut their business down immediately. It concerns us especially since we're trying to find the origin of the dark magic distribution. This is happening around the world right now, but we'll start small and see where it goes first. Though don't find everything there easy. The rest of the time for flying there, we'll be given more details about them. Though… I can tell you their group alias: WaveLeaf. Folders will be given to each of us for the details. Those copies will be burned by the time we get into Australian airspace as standard protocol, so get yourselves acquainted with the information you pick up. Questions will have to be asked once we're on the way, so here's not a good place. Understood?" Halley later sees positive answers and nods from her teammates. "Good."

Serah was smiling as she puts a tray with a kettle of hot liquid just on a table at the center of the room. That time, Serah was wearing a maid's outfit. "Coffee, if it suits you."

"Thanks, Serah." Halley said in gratitude. "You didn't have to do this for us."

"I insisted, Ms. Blomgren. This might be my home, but hospitality is found best to be done for any visitor. Call it a weakness, but attendance is important, as the late Master Gerard has taught me. Excuse me." Serah bows before she left the team alone in the room.

Zakaria sighs at this. "Sometimes, she can be a little confusing."

"You got me there," Adriana said. "I thought she can pretty much be the boss whenever she likes and…"

" _ **It's called Etiquette,**_ " says Halley. "For a long time, she had it carved in her brain. Come on, guys. Don't forget she served as a maid when she was given a body."

Eventually, the doors were opened and Kyoko came in walking quickly. "Blomgren-san… Our ride's here."

"That's our queue." Halley then stands from her seat and so did the rest. "Let's do it."

Serah eventually came at a moment's notice since the team is leaving. "It seems the extra coffee is not needed."

"Serah… Thanks for inviting us into your home. We didn't need it, though."

"It's the best I can do, and the least I could since it's payment for saving me and Alexandra back there in New Jersey. I considered to have paid you in full since you're satisfied."

"We are. Thanks again." Halley then looks away and turns to the door. "Ladies… we're going to the Strip!" She said this as her other teammates followed her out of the door. Kyoko was seen waving goodbye at Serah with a smile before following the group.

 _ **Somewhere over the seas where a Boeing C-17 Globemaster III was flying over 26,000 feet one night…**_

Halley was seated on a netted crate while her cell phone was out, listening to some soft rock. She rarely gets to touch her personal stuff from back then, but the present is something she can still thank since she's given space more.

Meanwhile, Kyoko was on the phone. She had a single Bluetooth earpiece connected to her phone.

"Ah. So no changes were made?"

" _As much as expecting is my game, don't be too sure you'd end up in a well-placed assignment, Kyoko._ " Patricia Halsey's voice came from the other line. " _The real problem is if the information talked about would be controlled._ "

"Director Halsey… we're talking about disappearances. 22 NATO ships?"

" _Tomorrow, the world's gonna be in another state of shock, Yamakawa. The UNIA will be immune to it since we're advanced with our intel. This isn't just a matter of national security but global security. Whether they want to think of it or not, the disappearances can cause holes in our military._ "

"What about those who appear in our timeline?"

" _I don't know. The CRNS Calypso that I'm told about that belongs to the 555_ _th_ _is gonna be given a refitting. And the witches of the 555_ _th_ _themselves will be trained for something differently. We have an idea that this is Neuroi-related, so every witch in the world who has knowledge of this, is on high alert._ "

"Everyone is going crazy with everything that is happening."

" _There's nothing we can contribute for the meantime. We got our hands full on controlling some of the risky information the public doesn't need to know. Plus… We have the matter of the dark magic distribution still our hands we need to stop._ "

"I just hope we stop it sooner."

" _Planning to help in the world?_ "

"I'm like that, Branch Director Halsey."

Patricia was then heard chuckling on the other line. " _It's natural, I suppose._ "

"Sure. Thanks for understanding."

" _Of course. I'll call again once your teams meet the contact. Tell Blomgren to make a separate call to the cabinet's office. A representative of the Liberion government wants to have a word with her for some reason._ "

"Eh?"

" _And no… I'm not telling you what it's about. It remains classified until its necessary to tell._ "

"Yes, Branch Director. I'll make sure to tell her."

" _Thank you, Yamakawa. Good luck._ "

"Bye." Kyoko then pressed a button on her Bluetooth earpiece before hearing Halley's music stop.

"It's Pat, huh?" Halley asked this casually while approaching Kyoko.

"Yup."

"Nothing too serious?"

"No. It's just that thing she wanted you to do. Once we get there, make a call to the cabinet's office."

"DC? What for?" Halsey asked this while scratching her head.

Kyoko gave a flat emotion as she answered: "Director Halsey didn't say."

"Hehe… She's always so full of surprises, you know. Last thing I need is a surprise up my nose." Halley sighed before hiding her phone in a pocket.

At the same time, Ember came by. "I thought we'll be there in two?"

Halley answered it. "Concerned we don't sleep? You need it yourself, Ember."

"Blaze needs the beauty sleep. Not me."

"Always too protective. If you keep staying up, next thing you'll end up being, is having a lot of delusions." After Halley said her line, Ember sighs and sits on the cold floor of the plane.

"Hah… I don't know what's delusional… all of you being too fast and too clever for your own good, or just the calm and exact nature, even accepting that appearances and disappearances are happening these days."

"Oh!" Kyoko reacted to what Ember said. "I see you were interested in that as well."

"It'll be a matter of time everyone panics. We're talking military here. If they fall, we fall. Intelligence? That's not everything. Fighting strength and national security are other things too. All the experience I gathered requires quite a foundation like those factors to keep a country running and protected at the same time."

"Hm…" Kyoko reacted with disappointment. "You seem to be given a background from the get-go."

"Eh… Got a lot of contacts anyway."

" _ **Ember… Get some sleep,**_ " Halley says with a commanding voice to Ember. "You might not like it, but rest isn't so bad when you think about it more. And that little 'beauty sleep' that you're talking about is something natural. Just… don't mind us. Age doesn't catch up to us yet, but don't let it catch up to you."

"Tch. You just want me to get away from you two."

"Complete contrary, Ember."

"Oh… And… Thanks. I didn't get the chance to thank you both for understanding my place when it came to protecting Shirley. Her life that was saved is a big deal. I kinda owe you both for that." Ember smiled before standing up and walked away from where Kyoko and Halley were.

Then Halley stands. "Kyoko, get a little sleep if you wanna. Wheels down in less than two hours. You'll need it. I'll head out to the cockpit."

"Ehem… Excuse me," Kyoko said while she stood up beside Halley. "Like you, I don't have the need to get sleep with the preparations we have. Though you might be rough on sleep, I won't mind if I get extra time awake. We need it anyway." Kyoko gave Halley a reassuring smile as she led both of them to the cockpit section of the plane.

From afar, an orange sky was beginning to be noticeable. The day was about to begin as land was visible…


	11. Chapter 7 preview

**_Next time on Task-Force 16: Recon-Assault..._**

 ** _Halley –_** _We were just on our way to Neo-Greece, an island nation that is under European control. The reason why is because Greece itself, ever since it had risen from the second Neuroi war, was trying to get its shit together. You name it: Military standardization, changing the government to a democratic, and simply making a lot of changes since then. So… it's like Liberion. But in a sense, only a little more strict. Though… I would say I could find holes in their little evolution from back then._

 _There's almost no law in Neo-Greece, so it needs to be reinforced..._

* * *

"Kanna Kaneko... Sergeant of the 137th Fusoan Defense Platoon. I'm originally here as a reserve witch for Europe... but I thought there would be an army here..."

"...or what's left of it," continued Halley. "Is your assignment really on tracking targets?"

"It is. I assume you guys will take action with my information then?"

"Of course."

"Then allow me to help. Neo-Greece is already having a bad name to itself. I wish to make at least a difference by vanquishing WaveLeaf. They've come this far. They can't keep going or we'll all suffer for it." Kanna says this with a high conviction...

* * *

" _I'm not saying it's forgotten,_ " said a man Halley was talking to with her phone. " _The kind of situation we're in right now is deep. Military power is suddenly disappearing from us, and the Neuroi took their first step too far by engaging the United States in a direct assault at New Jersey, which thanks to your help, we're able to counterattack._

" _The attack is impossible to be called a coincidence next to the fact that there are ships disappearing. They're planning something big. But you have your job._ "

"I understand." Halley says with disappointment. "Just make sure the president does what's recommended to do. I don't want all of this to go to hell."

" _There's no guarantee if our next move is something you'd expect. Now if you excuse us... We're busy._ "

* * *

"What do you mean he's not in position?!" Kyoko asks this in darkness before a sudden flash of lights were focused on her. Men with guns suddenly come and aim at her before she was shot with a stun gun...

* * *

"Are you sure you want to hold back what we know?" Alexandra asks Serah.

"For now, it's best we keep it to ourselves. Plus... We don't know if Elroy is attached to the Neuroi. We know he was in the past, but we have to investigate. Something didn't feel right when Jersey was attacked. It's like they only provoked Liberion... but for what...?!"

"You think it's a smokescreen?"

* * *

"You seem confident in your plan, Valentine," says Elroy who was looking at Valentine's holographic projection in her capsule. "You know they'll start putting the pieces together."

" _Ufufufufu..._ " Valentine giggles. " _Correction: They'll start piecing it together too late. Hehehehe..._ "

* * *

In a separate room were men from Asian origin handling weapons that are advanced. There were rifles and other automatics placed on the table with Britannian and Liberion origin. Some of them are Orussian made as well.

Men spoke in Mandarin to each other as they were doing their activities. Most of them were silent and focused as they unloaded ammunition boxes together.

Ordnance like anti-tank and anti-air launchers were also seen on the tables. Crates of weapons were being opened by the same men in the room.

They were being armed with tools that they don't call their own and will use it for a great cause...

 ** _"The Great Exodus…"_**


	12. NOTE

NOPE! Don't even think about it! I am NOT on hiatus. Unless I say, don't you dare think that I am on hiatus.

Fellow strikers, I was enjoying myself in playing Star Wars: The Old Republic, and ARMA III. Don't say I like being an addict in games. I'm just exploring different things.

Besides that, I've been doing crazy RP's with two authors in FF, and IT WAS AWESOME! :D The other author took a break for a while, and the other author and I have an RP that's still alive, thanks to the times.

And oh... Christmas is coming once again! I got plans to update the Sonicbird series first. After that, I'll do rotating updates on all of my fanficts. I suggest you guys PM me for suggestions of what my next updates would be, and how often they'll be made. Consider my position as author though: I can't write all the time.

Enjoy your Christmas days and whatever others call it in other religions. Smile, fellow Striker. ;)


	13. Occupied Space (p1)

**_CHAPTER 7_**

 ** _Halley –_** _We were just on our way to Neo-Greece, an island nation that is under European control. The reason why is because Greece itself, ever since it had risen from the second Neuroi war, was trying to get its shit together. You name it: Military standardization, changing the government to a democratic, and simply making a lot of changes since then. So… it's like Liberion. But in a sense, only a little more strict. Though… I would say I could find holes in their little evolution from back then._

 _But the island nation is just full of civilians and a law-enforcing body. Not much is made in Neo-Greece, which is what many from the outside world fear. And my hunch is right: There's almost no law in Neo-Greece, so it needs to be reinforced…_

 _It was just morning that the C-17 we rode in was gently banking right. We were nearing the airport and of course, the sun was just rising. It was the first day of November, 2015._

 _I'll have to assume it's the same shit… only a different day._

 ** _Island Nation Neo-Greece… 1st of November, 2015…_**

 ** _On approach to Διάδρομος Επικαλεστών (Summoner's Airstrip)…_**

 ** _0619 hours…_**

The C-17 Globemaster III was flying at quite a low altitude at around 200 meters off the ground, and it wasn't lowering its gears at all.

The back-ramp opened slowly as Halley was looking at the daring scene… a fast continuing background filled with the tropical-like soil which is yellowish and could almost be topped with the grass.

Blaze winced at what she heard from Kyoko. "Excuse me?! A low-altitude deployment?! Then that would mean…"

"Exactly," Kyoko said in reply. "Is it new to you?"

Blaze looked ahead, seeing Halley come back to the group while near the back-ramps were big metallic crates. They each had parachutes attached facing the back-ramp. The back-ramp had a roller belt, and it was designed for the metallic crates to slide on before being thrown out of the plane.

"It isn't," Blaze replied. "Then it's obvious the plane doesn't have plans using the airstrip as a parking lot."

" ** _No it doesn't._** " Halley said to make sure Blaze gets it. "Neo-Greece's government just put out a warning to different planes coming into the airstrip, especially military types. You see, it's rather small, so the Globemaster's size will already be too much. And since we're asked to be low-profile during our visit, we're doing exactly that. As for the crates, don't worry about them. Our units are in there in case we need them, but the crates can absorb shock, so everything inside will stay intact. Now… Did I give you any sense of relief?"

"Um… yeah." Blaze then felt a hand slap her shoulder. And she noticed it was her older sister's hand. Ember laughed at this. "Sis?!"

"Come on, you're not gonna shit your pants again, are you?!"

"Absolutely not, Ember! Hmph!" Blaze then puts on her parachute just before Ember does the same. "And may I say you're always an adrenaline junkie?"

"I've had more testosterone if that's the case."

"Eh. Gross," Blaze mutters in reply to Ember.

"You can all relax." Victoria comes in and puts a hand on the two hybrid sisters. "It's simple as facing your parachute towards the outside direction before pulling your chute out. We'll do it one by one and…"

" ** _WE KNOW!_** " Blaze and Ember both exclaimed and Victoria laughs.

" ** _LADIES! 20 SECONDS!_** " Halley shouts at everyone jumping. "Get in line, and get set!" Halley orders all of them just before Kyoko goes beside her. Ember, Blaze and Victoria then line up behind the two of them. "Kyoko… Think this day will be the same?"

"Everyday's a nice day. If at best you don't think that, you'll live miserably."

"Tch. It's like YOU did. Be realistic, will you?"

"I've had my share of misery, Blomgren-san. Not everyone deserves it. But if I kept my head down now, it'll be over the next second."

"You're too optimistic for your own good." Halley smirks while replying just before she sees the tip of the runway covered in golden soil. ' _Alright, this is it!_ ' "Crates, go for chute!"

" _Roger, Alpha-Actual._ " The pilot's voice from the radio was heard before the metallic crates started to move after a click was heard. They slid down to the back ramp before they fell, and just before their parachutes have been deployed. The crates the flipped as their parachutes were fully open, just before their descent was slowed down by them.

"GO, GO, GO!" Halley ordered before she ran towards the back ramp. As soon as she stepped on the ramp doors, she pulled her chute cord and jumped out, letting her parachute deploy and slow her down, before starting to descend slowly. Kyoko followed and didn't have a problem with deploying her chute after her jump as well. Next Victoria went out and deployed her chute successfully after her jump. It was a little late, but it was done anyway so it's safe. Ember went next before she jumped and pulled her chute immediately, pulling her to slow down and started to descend from there. And afterwards came out Blaze as the last of the Sierra team. She jumped out successfully just before she pulled on her chute cable.

Blaze did it, but nothing happened. "Oh… SHIIIIIIIIT! My chute's busted?!"

Ember winced at the words Blaze had revealed. "What the fuck?! BLAZE!"

With quick thinking, Blaze had no choice but to land down hard. There's some grass nearby, so she eased her landing there. She then started to neurify herself with the armor, but unfortunately, the weight suddenly pulled her down, and it was focused right on her posterior. She didn't expect it and screamed in fear before she landed on the grass.

The next everyone heard was a painful scream of a girl who landed right on her ass…

 ** _10 minutes later… airstrip infirmary…_**

Blaze was heard grunting loudly. That time, Halley was watching Blaze moaning in pain as the hybrid girl was lying down with her chest on her bed, while being healed with magic from behind. Her pants, and literally all of it, were not worn on her. The case wasn't severe, but her bones and muscle might have been a worry.

Halley had her hand on her face, feeling annoyed about this. "I'll just have to make sure the same crew member responsible for giving us that chute get eaten up." She muttered to herself as she went on cursing some more.

Blaze then heard Halley speak of more curses as she paced back and forth. "Hey. Look… You're too stressed. I'm fine, really."

"No, you're not." Halley responded while not sparing a glance at Blaze who seemed to be a little annoyed of her superior walking back and forth.

"I can tell you're really pissed, but it's not big deal."

"NOT A BIG DEAL?!" Halley stopped walking and glared at Blaze. "Your senses ever since you were in the military was quite forgotten, was it?! Look, maybe you don't take this as a big deal, but there are always consequences. What if you're not healed in time? What if you're going to be the only one slowing us down? I'm not affording that, and you're gonna need to heal up before you continue. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Ma'am." Blaze said this loudly before another set of words in a mutter: "Uptight bitch."

"Deal with it." Halley said in reply just before she sets eyes on the other redhead in the team. "Ah… Ember."

Ember seemed calm, seeing her sister's posterior being healed by a healing witch, so it seems. Then she winced at the girl healing her sister. The girl had a braided ponytail and her hair was raven black in color. She had brown eyes, and she was wearing spectacles, a kind of glasses for her eyes. Her hands were glowing with healing magic, and Ember noticed this healing witch's familiar seemed recognizable to her as a black fox's features. ' _This girl's… a Fusoan? Hm…_ '

"I see you're interested in someone." Halley said this with a smirk towards Ember. "Should I call the doctor to see if something's wrong?"

"Tch." Ember snickers and shrugs it off with a smile. "Nice to see you too, Flight Lieutenant. Good thing my sister is treated well here. And we had a healer witch on station? Who knew, huh?"

"I did, and you don't know a thing about her, yet. That's Kanna Kaneko. She's one of Neo-Greece's reserve witches. Actually… Neo-Greece doesn't have its own military. So… she pretty much heals anyone who's in medical danger."

"Then what the heck is she doing here, then?" As Ember asked, Kanna's head turned to Ember.

"Um…" Kanna uttered out something that was not understandable, but then continued to say it. "I actually live here. It's simple for me, at least. But it doesn't change my nature."

"Oh." Ember then puts an arm over the other in curiosity. "Though why are you here if you're affiliated to the military anyway?"

"One reason only: Tracking. I'm an available asset for any national military who's interested in the place. Over here, everything's loosened up. Laws are sometimes overlooked. There's order, but only for a short time when there's agreement between factions."

"Factions?"

"Basically, Neo-Greece is an island for gangs. Hehe…" Kanna laughed nervously at what she said, but it didn't help lighten the situation at all.

Then Blaze decided to join in the conversation. "I'm still awake, you know."

"How are ya holding up?" Ember asked her sister this in concern.

"I'm okay. I'm being lightened up right now."

"Your ass is showing."

"I know, right?"

"Listen… We're going out to check out the place soon. I was hoping things would be easier if you speed it up, sis."

"Huh?" Blaze seemed to be nervous after what her sister meant. "Are… you sure?"

"Yeah. We're on the same team here. We might as well let others be aware." Ember tells this with no doubt for Blaze.

"Oh… Okay…" Blaze then closes her eyes before she focused from inside.

She concentrated on where the damage was made. The bones on her posterior had some cracks. In her bloodstream, Neurites, the building cells of a Neuroi started to form up on the cracks, and even filled them up while they were able to bond with the bones as if they're part of it. Her muscles were slowly being repaired by the proteins her body is still able to generate thanks to her hybrid body's support on her human side.

Kanna is also feeling the sudden difference of what she was healing. "What…?! I'm feeling as if every hole she has is… Kuso… It's fast but it's not my doing."

Even Halley's a bit surprised of the development and looked at Ember. "Ember, what did you do?"

"She didn't do anything," Blaze answered. "Ever since we came in, we didn't really show you what's inside us. It's because we were nervous. Well… Right now doesn't matter.

"Sis and I have the Neuroi's building blocks in our bodies, called Neurites. It can repair almost anything in our body… even make corrections with our muscles too."

"But you can control those corrections, right?"

"Yes. We're connected to the Neurites inside us. It's not the same as regeneration since we have human bodies."

"I see." Halley then saw Blaze start to move and eventually started to stand up. Halley blushed a little. "Um… You know that your ass is still sticking out, right?"

Blaze winced and her face was turning red. Kanna had just taken back her familiar features and finished healing when she herself had realized this. She was healing a half-nude girl.

And they all heard Blaze giggled in excitement for some reason.

 ** _Later…_**

The airstrip gates were opened and a silver sedan had left the place. The car had passed through some old industrial buildings just before it turned to another street. The civilians here were wearing rags for clothes and somehow, all of them are just adapting to it like it was regular life to them. It changed however when the car traveled towards the city area.

The city area was both civilized, and a mess. Blaze observes the graffiti on the buildings. Victoria sees drunken men walking in daylight. Ember observes two groups of guys suddenly breaking it out into a fist fight during an argument.

"Hehe… Not a nice neighborhood, right?" The man driving the sedan was naturally green in nature and had fair skin. He looked to be on his mid-twenties. But unlike the rest, he just seemed… casual. Of all people that they saw so far, he seemed to make the most of it.

Halley was riding shotgun beside him. "Thanks for giving us a ride, Paolo. And you're right… It's rather a bad spot to walk on. WaveLeaf really picked out an easy spot to put their little business in."

"I'm the witness, actually. I really have to thank you guys for getting here quick. I never knew from before that something like that is actually operating here. I mean… Dark Magic? That's some serious stuff."

"How'd you get so close to find out what it really is?"

"My grandmother died a hero back in her day. She knew the dangers of dark magic. They could be potent. They could be more visible than the other magic types she knows. It's just that. Dark Magic is too visible whenever it's off one's body or it just gives us the creeps.

"So yeah… she's seen it being traded and she was among one of the first against the distribution of such resource."

"Hm… I see," Halley responded before the sedan took a left turn past an intersection.

Paolo continued to speak. "Too bad her movement didn't go anywhere since the media and governments denied it all. Good news is, it stopped for a long time. Now it's started again. It's like forgetting an age of trying to do what's right. They don't take notice of that, do they?"

"Was your grandmother born from Greece?" Ember asked out of the blue.

"Yeah. Though her husband's Hispanian. They got together while they were in their lawyer years. They're both district attorneys when they started seeing dark magic being used for bad things. It should never have been forgotten.

"Neo-Greece used to be better too. There used to be cops around the place. But that was too long ago. Ever since Greece started doing the Military Standardization when they knew the Neuroi were a threat, this island was left to full civilian control temporarily. Well… that's what we all thought until the island nation was left to local cops."

"Time passed and things went wrong," Ember continued. "I could have bumped in and woke up your experiences if you had any. No offense."

Paolo smirked a little. "None taken. It's rare I talk about Neo-Greece anyway. Well… I'm glad to help to do the right thing. Listen, we're almost to the safehouse. That's where you'll be operating from, and probably where you'll really lay low when they start searching. Last place they'll tend to look is at my house."

Halley then poked Paolo's shoulder and got his attention. "Don't be too sure. Security could be tightened there as well as their exercise for safety. Better safe than sorry could be their quote, and you could be given a beating. Are you prepared for that?"

"Why wouldn't I be? I faced a lot of shit here anyway." Paolo said as he driven the sedan uphill…

 ** _Back at the airstrip…_**

The striker cradle was lowered via the forklift inside the airstrip hangar. Kyoko supervised how it's placed just before it was successfully touching the ground. Kyoko then thanked the forklift driver before the vehicle itself was driven away. She noticed another striker cradle was nearby and it contained a set of strikers as well. She recognized the unit brand: Mitsubishi X-2 Shinshin. She suddenly got interest and was leaning closer to examine the unit.

" _Interested in my baby?_ " Kanna's voice seemed to be recognized as Kyoko looks at her walk from the hangar entrance. "I see you're interested in the X-2."

"They already released it, huh? I thought it's on its development stages."

"Yes. Though what you're talking about is the jet model. This is the striker unit model. It's on my request that I got this. Like you, I had the allied F-22 striker units used, but I had to change my style. I'm more suited to reconnaissance right now. Plus… the striker units allow stealth technology built in. It won't be easy to make a radar lock on me or to track me using the same method."

"Nice."

"Mind if I call you 'Big Sister?'"

"Sure."

"Nee-san… How intense was it on your battles?"

"Well… Going head-on usually is rougher than most. I prefer making strategic approaches at every encounter I go through.

"The difficulty soars when it comes to our endurance to different conditions. I took the heat in the Middle East, then took some minor battles in Australia since they're getting much more serious Neuroi trouble. I served at the ground self-defense force for Fuso as well with the title of 'Frontline Leader' for two years. I was in the UNIA a little later on."

"Wow," Kanna was in awe of what Kyoko told.

Kyoko continued. "Halley and I were friends when the two of us were assigned in TF-16. It was formed in 2014. And ever since, the two of us were conducting operations in relation to dark magic distribution. Right now though… It's becoming dangerous since the Neuroi are believed to possess it. It's proven when some of the Neuroi are able to absorb it. Our job is to make sure to study it, but it's only additional to our real goal…

"The real thing is about stopping dark magic from being abused. WaveLeaf is related since they were seen handling Neuroi weapons at some point. That's what connected them to the Neuroi, because even the weapons are organic and can take in magic of any kind."

"Oh. I… I get it."

"That's why it's much more demanded we deal with this matter." Kyoko then stopped walking as she kept looking at the same forward direction she always had been looking before thinking. ' _It's not my first time, but why do I feel as if this is something being done over and over?_ '

"Nee-san?" Kanna then snapped Kyoko out of it. "If I'm giving you inconvenience, I could always leave you alone for a bit."

"No. It's okay. It's just… I feel it's like I'm doing this conversation again… or something."

"Déjà vu?"

"Not sure, but…" Kyoko then glances at Kanna but to her shock, she saw a different girl's face. Blood on her head was showing and her left eye had a gunshot hole and was bleeding out fast. The world suddenly turned dark as fires were around her before she stepped back. She panted in fear.

Kanna noticed the sudden change of Kyoko's emotion and described the fear on her face. ' _What the hell…?! Is she afraid…?!_ ' Then she saw Kyoko scream before tripping backwards and landed on her back. "Nee-san, what's wrong?!"

"近寄るな！(STAY AWAY!)" Kyoko had screamed out her demand while she crawled back. Eventually she stopped and tucked her legs in with her hands. She closes her eyes as tears started to come out. ' _Please… Please make it stop…_ '

A smile coming from a sinister woman was simply coming out before she started walking away. Her hooded figure was being given invisibility. Her hand was noticeable to have dark aura and was now fading.

"At least you tasted it," she says. She eventually leaves the area without anyone spotting her at all.

Kyoko panted before wiping her tears away. "What… was that…?"

"Nee-san, are you okay?!" Kanna asked this just before she was suddenly hugged by the girl who once saw fear in her eyes. ' _What's going on…?!_ '

 ** _At a safehouse in the city area…_**

"Is she okay?" Halley asked this while she was pacing back and forth. Victoria, Ember and Blaze were watching her.

" _Kyoko will be fine. She'll just need rest. But the fear I saw in her eyes…_ " Kanna explained this with her tone as though it was quite new to her and Halley noticed that. " _I honestly didn't know what was happening. I was hoping you'd know since you two are close._ "

"Well… We talked to each other about it, but suddenly like this? I don't know. Keep me informed, Kaneko. I don't wanna be the one to head over there when we're already here."

" _Understood, Ma'am. I'll take of her._ "

"Thanks. Bye." Halley then presses a button, ending the call.

"Will she be okay?" Victoria asks in concern with her team leader.

"She just needs some rest."

"She'll pull through," Blaze comments. "She's timid but still strong in my book."

Paolo eventually accompanied them. "There's nothing left of my house here, so it's definitely just looking as a safehouse. I have a separate home to be in anyway."

"You sure you're okay with this, Paolo? We'll be happy to send gratitude from the UNIA," Halley offers.

"It's the least I can do, so the gratitude you have is not necessary."

"We insist. They'll call you regarding that."

"Well, alright. I'll get going now. Good luck on whatever you'll do." Paolo eventually leaves the group behind.

Ember has a watchful on eye on Paolo just until he steps out of the safehouse. "He looks a bit… shady."

"Oh?" Halley reacts in curiosity. "Isn't that what you keep telling? Or maybe you're just too cautious."

"I don't know. There's nothing wrong with his pulse, but… I just feel he's…"

"Ember." Halley glares Ember. "We don't have time for this. We have some work to do." She eventually walks to one side and starts opening a crate that was there in the corner.

Ember looks at the figure of Paolo walking away from the safehouse in a distance now. ' _I don't know what it is, but I know there's something wrong with you._ '

 ** _Serah's house…_**

The afternoon didn't disturb Alexandra as she was using the pull-up bar for herself. Each rep she uses makes her sweat for the least. Her breathing is controlled. Her pull on the way up is smooth.

But as Serah in her maid outfit came by, she was shocked to see her friend only wearing pants, but was barefoot, and bare from her abdomen and above. "Eh…?! Alex?"

Alexandra did one last pull-up just before looked at Serah. "Hey there." She then extended her arms as she was descending down before she lets go and sighs in relief. "I did 50 straight at this. New record, I guess."

"Do you have any sense of decency, Alex?"

"Huh? No."

"Tch. I thought so. The rough-housing young woman I know still didn't change with her instincts."

"As long as you're not telling me anything my personal history, I'll continue to go my own way until I do." Alexandra then finds a big white towel and wipes herself dry from the sweat she gained. "Besides… I think I'm enjoying my identity as someone being kept out of the loop."

"Do you think this behavior will provoke me? I'm still not telling you anything. The treatment itself will bring you to slowly gain your memories. You just need patience."

"I do. But my destiny lies in your hands since you know me better than I know you. That does not mean you'll tell me what to do like you're my boss or my mom for that matter."

"Still stubborn," Serah replied. Though she smiled later on. "That's something that did not change. You always seemed to push yourself, and sometimes too hard." Serah then put a hand on Alexandra's shoulder. "Don't forget you're not the only one helping yourself. Your past, as important as it is, will come to you naturally, and I know the kind of person inside you won't give up in recovering your lost memories. They're important to you. That's all that counts." Serah then decides to leave Alexandra alone and sighs at this.

Though Alex lost her memories she would consider Serah's word for it. She couldn't speak out that she saw only fragments of what she once was.

 ** _"Occupied Space (Part 1)"_**


End file.
